Microsoft reconfirmed it is “absolutely” working on a “consumer journey” for its HoloLens AR headset, even if that’s some ways off.
Speaking to Wall Street Journal, Technical Fellow Alex Kipman touched on the future of the platform. “But you don’t get to lead a new medium of computing if you’re not going to be in consumer,” Kipman said. “So we are absolutely working on a consumer journey for HoloLens. I’m happy to confirm that and say that is a very important part of our strategy.”
Consumer HoloLens Coming
Kipman didn’t give any kind of roadmap for an eventual launch of a consumer HoloLens, but it’s likely not going to happen for a while. The HoloLens 2, which we reviewed earlier this year, is an excellent but expensive ($3,500) AR headset with a lot of features that don’t quite measure up to consumer expectations. Improving these features whilst also bringing the kit’s price down is a challenge not just Microsoft but every hopeful AR competitor faces in the coming years.
Magic Leap learned the hard way when it pivoted its AR glasses away from consumer and towards enterprise, while rumors and speculation around Apple’s AR headset have persisted for years, most recently suggesting it might not arrive until 2025. Even HoloLens itself was first introduced with AR videogames and entertainment apps before Microsoft truly positioned it towards businesses.
As for HoloLens 3, Kipman also assured Microsoft was working on it and that it had to be “another huge leap forward”. Again, no word on when we might see that device.
Would you buy a consumer HoloLens headset? Let us know in the comments below!
