Almost four years post its debut, Microsoft introduces the second-generation HoloLens at MWC 2019. Dubbed HoloLens 2, this iteration boasts design enhancements, heightened immersion, and cloud integration, among other advancements.
Price and Availability
Available for pre-order today at $3,500, the HoloLens 2 marks a price reduction from its predecessor’s $5000 tag. This encompasses a standalone Enterprise Edition package, with leasing options as low as $125 per month. Shipping is slated to commence later in 2019.
Microsoft HoloLens 2 Features
Prioritizing Comfort
The HoloLens 2 visibly sheds bulk compared to its predecessor, now crafted from carbon fiber for reduced weight. Microsoft has also balanced the center of gravity.
In Microsoft’s tests, the HoloLens 2 is claimed to be three times more comfortable than its predecessor, thanks to a redesigned dial-in mechanism for easy wearing and visor flipping for removal.
Immersive Experiences
Key improvements include doubling the field of view while maintaining a holographic density of 47 pixels per degree and reducing power usage. Microsoft’s achievement in doubling the FOV is significant.
Microsoft has integrated time-of-flight depth sensors in the front, offering a new way to interact with holograms—by reaching out and touching them. You can touch, tap, pinch, or zoom objects in your virtual space and make them follow you.
HoloLens 2 allows direct manipulation of holograms with instinctual gestures, mirroring interactions with physical objects.
Office 365 & Azure Support
Build an Open Ecosystem
Microsoft emphasized the importance of an open ecosystem (mixed reality) over walled gardens and outlined three core principles:
1. Access App Store: While HoloLens 2 comes with Microsoft Store pre-loaded, developers can create their own stores and offer various apps to users.
2. Access Web Browsing: Microsoft Edge serves as the default browser, but alternatives can be built. Mozilla plans to introduce Firefox for HoloLens 2.
3. Open Platform: Microsoft aims to make the platform accessible to all, empowering developers to utilize any popular engine or library with HoloLens 2.
Epic Games has committed to this open ecosystem, making their Unreal Engine available to developers. The studio behind Fortnite fully supports Microsoft’s HoloLens strategy and will bring more of their resources to the platform soon.
Do you want to try out the next-gen HoloLens 2? Are you excited for what it could bring for the future of mixed reality? Let us know in the comments.
Pritam Chopra is a seasoned IT professional and a passionate blogger hailing from the dynamic realm of technology. With an insatiable curiosity for all things tech-related, Pritam has dedicated himself to exploring and unraveling the intricacies of the digital world.
