Microsoft released the first #HoloLens 5 years ago, the devices have been primarily used by businesses and the military, but plans to bring it to the consumer market are still there. That's according to Microsoft's head of #MixedReality Alex Kipman, who shared this new expanded roadmap during an interview
At the Recently concluded Ignite 2021 #Microsoft announced Mesh, an Azure-based cloud platform that will allow anyone to build #immersive, multiuser, cross-platform mixed reality apps. Mesh can be used to improve virtual meetings, conduct virtual design sessions, assist remotely better, host virtual social gatherings and more.
In an interview to Bloomberg, Microsoft CEO #SatyaNadella said that Microsoft will keep investing in VR and AR, likening it to Microsoft’s decision 10 years ago to go “all in” on cloud computing, which took a while to pay off.
Alex Kipman shared his vision of what AR/MR technologies will bring in the future. Besides talking about shared experiences powered by Microsoft Mesh, Kipman also said how important it is to bring the technology to the masses.
Microsoft is planning to lead the race of AR/MR technologies, but to do it, it needs to expand the target audience of its products by selling them to the masses. Microsoft is currently selling HoloLens headsets mostly to companies in different sectors and the US military.
He confirmed that Microsoft is working on getting the technology in its HoloLens to that consumer level. a consumer HoloLens headset will need to be smaller than the HoloLens 2, coming in as a pair of "socially acceptable glasses," and offer a level of immersion that goes beyond simple notifications.
Considering that HoloLens 2 weighs over 500g and consumes 8W of power, Kipman estimates that a viable pair of AR glasses would have to weigh about 90g and use only 2W. That looks like a laborious task given the amount of hardware Microsoft have to pack inside the device.
Kipman added that Microsoft is working with #Epic and #Niantic to create an open mixed reality platform without any application store taxes.
Microsoft's head of Mixed Reality didn't share a release timeline for the HoloLens consumer headset but ensured that it won't release this year.