Microsoft Reveals HoloLens Specifications
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Comments
32
Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 06:46 PM
Cool concept, horrific price point. I don't know what they were thinking at 3 grand, which is unfortunately going to cause this to inevitably flop.Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 06:54 PM
That is a disgusting price.Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 06:55 PM
Isn't this just really similar to what the 3DS can do with its VR tech?Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 06:58 PM
It's a dev kit. Price was always going to be high. I really like the potential but I will wait for a second or even third gen before thinking of adopting.Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 06:58 PM
Its 3000 for a dev kit so the price will fluctuate. I dont think the price is too crazy as the google glasses were 1500 and the hololens has more to offer. Granted i cant afford it but if i could id get one.Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 06:58 PM
Conker on HoloLens! This just became a day one purchase for me.Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 07:37 PM
So this is what the young conker trademark thing was about? Damn. I thought an actual conker game was coming out.. My hopes have been squashed.Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 07:38 PM
I would like to raise a glass for the ignorant posts that have come already and those that are yet to. As many have already said, it's a dev kit. Google, use it. I'd like to also point out that the 2-3 hour battery life is also down to being a dev kit and should not represent the final product.Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 08:12 PM
Hopefully it gets better support than Kinect did.Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 08:22 PM
Have they talked about wearing glasses with these? I'm interested, but I can't see anything without my glasses.Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 08:26 PM
Look at all the idiots above complaining about the price for a dev kit. Anyone remember the price for the Xbox 360 dev kit? Yeah, that was expensive.Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 08:38 PM
Any word on Hololense games having achievements? I hope this new Conker will have achievements come with it.Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 08:58 PM
how about you guys fix your servers and xbox live before releasing stuff like this?Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 09:09 PM
@2 Dude is the dev kit lol of course its gonna be more. Once its all said and done and hololens is fully on the market there will probably be 3 different hololens you can get. And the best one will be cheaper then 3000$Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 09:10 PM
@15 What's wrong with live? Never have any problems with it.Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 09:20 PM
Gimmick! Another fad like Kinect...3D..and 4K...pass.Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 09:41 PM
Hmm, what happens if I put a treadmill in the way? :PMonday, February 29, 2016 @ 09:42 PM
I'm sure I'll get one if they have Achievements anyway but the only game I'd be amazingly excited for that I can see would be Yu-Gi-Oh!, that game kind of would be perfect for something like this.Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 10:11 PM
Being a ps4 owner and x1 and at 15.Xbox live is excellent in comparison to the ps4 services, xbl also provides a way better and stable service and about 95% in year I'm on it with no issues.Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 10:35 PM
It's going be flops once again since Kinect. Microsoft shouldn't do it in first place. It's not help them for this and yeah they always want $$$£££ is the main reason. Anyway move on from this gimmicky thing. Cannot wait for The Division next week. :) :)Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 10:45 PM
@17: Ignore him. I understand where he's coming from with the issues from the last week or so, but he clearly doesn't understand that Microsoft has multiple divisions, all working on different projects, for different platforms. That'd be sweet to have, can't wait to see what they release on the consumer level. What would a pair of those bad boys retail for, since we wouldn't need the dev kit, just the software/ console to run it on?Monday, February 29, 2016 @ 10:53 PM
Well a couple of rival vr headsets are confirmed price of £350-£500 so doubt this will be much different when it drops and fails. Please just leave console gaming to a pad! If I wana use a keyboard and mouse I play on a pc.Tuesday, March 01, 2016 @ 12:43 AM
Do people actually realise that this isn't just for gaming, it's a design tool as well. Virtual reality, being able to keep up with news, sports etc etc where ever you are in the house. Didn't we also see video clips on a virtual TV pop up in one of the trailers showcasing this last year? Not about to start digging, things to do, but yeah, if it supports Windows 10 and if it does have the Store, I would imagine it's going to have Films & TV (Xbox Video) on there too? So surely it could download or stream them through HoloLens, which would be pretty epic. @18 - yeah add IMAX to that "gimmick" list of yours. How naive.Tuesday, March 01, 2016 @ 02:36 AM
Kinect had an awesome AD as well, lots of people bought it and were fooled. I want to see the sale numbers when its going live, oh wait, MS dont publish sale numbers.. I can imagine how they fail with that price and Kinect history involved, its a VR after all and all you do is imagine!Tuesday, March 01, 2016 @ 02:51 AM
@18 Your comments are all WRONG! I don't consider Kinect a fad, although I don't care for playing games with it. It's greatest use is for voice commands, secure log-ins for ANYONE... and scanning QR codes instead of entering those 25-digit codes - though not enough MS gift cards and DLC utilize it. 3D was a fad until they quit using colored lenses and stopped filming "in-your-face" 3D sight gags (films aimed at children still abuse that, though). Movies like: "Avatar," "Star Trek" & "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" had great depth and looked amazing in 3D. 4K is FAR from being a gimmick! Either you have poor eye-sight or a poor wallet... because I own a 4K UHDTV (65") and it looks "STUNNING!" The upscaling alone makes it worth it (at least for HD content), as you don't see the pixels or aliasing from any distance. When you see true 4K content, it's absolutely breath-taking! You should really wait for HoloLens to actually fail and go away, before you call it a gimmick. Don't hold your breath on that, because if nothing else... it may be a future in the health industry!!Tuesday, March 01, 2016 @ 08:17 AM
£3000 for 1-3 battery life. Erm noTuesday, March 01, 2016 @ 12:43 PM
It would be especially interesting to see Cortana through the HoloLens. @20 You have no idea how exited I got by that idea. Yu-Gi-Oh holograms sound so awesome! :PWednesday, March 02, 2016 @ 01:21 AM
Nice, PixelBlast! The idea of playing a Halo game where you see the Cortana AI appearing right in front of you as she appears to the Master Chief - AWESOME!!!Wednesday, March 02, 2016 @ 03:57 AM
@24 The hololense is intended for much more than gaming as already stated but as part of gaming it has huge potential to augment games, giving a HUD whilst the TV screen remains hudless or providing additional information to add to immersion. It would no doubt be used more as an output device more than input.
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Monday, February 29, 2016
Microsoft has lifted the lid on HoloLens, its spiffy advanced augmented reality headset, a development version of which is due to start shipping at the end of March. As well as a detailed look at the headset's specifications, there's also info on a selection of the device's features, including its functionality as "fully untethered and self-contained," meaning you don't need a console or PC to use it, with Windows 10 built into it.
That means you can access the Windows 10 apps store directly using HoloLens, and the device itself is powered by a custom-built Holographic Processing Unit (HPU) alongside an Intel 32-bit architecture. The HPU is made using custom silicon that "allows HoloLens to understand gestures and gaze while mapping the world all around you, all in real time," according to Microsoft's announcement.
See-through holographic lenses utilise an advanced projection system to "generate multi-dimensional full-colour holograms with very low latency so you can see holographic objects in your world" that are all "light point rich," creating the illusion that they're all anchored within the real-world.
"To achieve this, HoloLens has been designed for optimal holographic density of 2.5K radiants. The more radiants and light points there are, the brighter and richer the holograms become," Microsoft explains. Integrated cameras also enable users to record and share 'mixed reality captures' (MRC) that are "HD pictures and images of the holograms in the world around you". A Bluetooth 4.1 clicker can be used alongside it.
HoloLens also allows for gestures and voice commands through which you can communicate with apps "to create and shape holograms", using your gaze to navigate. "HoloLens understands your gestures, gaze, and voice, enabling you to interact in the most natural way possible. With spatial sound, HoloLens allows you to hear holograms from anywhere in the room, even if they are behind you."
Pre-orders for Microsoft's HoloLens dev kit have gone live, but the price is a bit tasty at $3000. A game featuring a younger version of Rare's Conker, fittingly titled Young Conker, first-person holographic shooter RoboRaid and crime-solving story game Fragments will launch alongside HoloLens on 30th March. Find out more about those here, and check out the full specs below.
Processors
Custom-built Microsoft Holographic Processing Unit (HPU 1.0)
Power
Memory
OS and Apps
Weight
Optics
Sensors
Human Understanding
Input / Output / Connectivity