Microsoft's presentation of the new Surface and Lumia devices took almost all the attention of the specialized press, but there is something else in Microsoft's ranks that easily balances the scales. Everything we've seen so far about the HoloLens headset has been fabulous, and as expected, it enjoyed a stellar moment on stage through a demo called Project XRay. The best part? The HoloLens has an estimated release date and official price for developers.
Virtual Reality vs. Augmented Reality: The Combined Potential
Virtual reality, augmented reality, and a combination of the two. Maybe that's the key for both technologies to succeed. Their potential individually is great, but with the right platform, it's hard to imagine a limit. All traditional virtual headsets are aiming for 2016 as their debut year, with the possible exception of the HTC Vive, which plans to strike first in November. Our biggest doubts and concerns travel toward content, which still needs to improve in quality and quantity. However, after we encountered the HoloLens demos, we were convinced it's worth waiting for.
The Project XRay Demo
The HoloLens made an appearance during Microsoft's latest keynote in New York, and this is what was seen:
Its provisional name is Project XRay, and I think we're all convinced that HoloLens has no rival when it comes to turning a room into a dedicated level. The transformation of the player's hand into a virtual glove is great, and apparently each wave of enemies is more challenging than the last, demanding weapon modifications and invoking extra defenses with the help of voice commands. The most provocative thing is that Microsoft considers Project XRay to be a small test. What do they have planned?
Price and Availability
Apparently, we're going to find out sooner than we imagined. Along with the Project XRay demo, Microsoft confirmed that the HoloLens headset will be available as a development package starting in the first quarter of 2016, with an official price of $3,000. No, it's not a typo: this hybrid between a virtual headset and a laptop that combines virtual and augmented reality costs a mere $3,000. To be honest, for a moment I thought the final price would be five digits. And to think Google wanted $1,500 for Glass...
Source: Gizmodo
