At CES 2017, Microsoft has gone on to unveil that they are teaming up with Dell, Acer, HP, Lenovo and 3 Glasses so as to launch an entirely new set of headsets which will be completely based on HoloLens.
Image Source: microsoft.com
The innovation of Microsoft HoloLens is undeniable, however, the headset faces some issues, especially in its field of view. Hence, the teaming up with other companies would introduce to the world a new range of HoloLens which might have the ability to completely blend and interact with the real world objects, something which we have always been looking for. It will be worthwhile to see what this teaming up brings.
It might be really exciting for all the HoloLens enthusiasts, as the starting price of the device is expected to be as low as $299 and will scale upwards as per the different demands. The latest version will be running on the latest version of Windows 10.
A Microsoft spokesperson,
states,
“These new head-mounted displays will be the first consumer offerings utilizing the Mixed Reality capabilities of Windows 10 Creators Update.”
Offering the world a HoloLens device for 10% of its price, seems too good to be true, however, there is one major limitation. These devices will not be wireless and also, there is no fixed date yet, hence chances are that these devices will take some time to launch.
The tether means that users will require a decent PC in order to use the headset. However, according to Microsoft, a decent desktop, which will support the headset, would not cost more than $500. Yes, the cost of the desktop is more than some of the headsets which would be launched; however, majority of the people will be having the hardware already.
And, while we are on the topic of hardware, it seems essential to mention that none of the headsets would be using Microsoft’s. The company is only making the holographic shell and not the internal components, and the quality of the headset will mainly go on to depend on what is inside.
It is possible that you will not again the same experience of the HoloLens headsets; however at such a discounted price it is quite difficult to argue.
However, it is really quite exciting to see that Microsoft is branching out its software to other OEMs, and it will provide the company with ample of time without the risk of
Windows 10 AR dying out. The increase in the users will bring forth more developers, which might go on be quite a good thing.
Here are glasses from Acer, Dell, Lenovo, HP, and 3DGlasses.