Microsoft is officially ending production for the HoloLens 2 mixed reality headset, and it doesn’t look like there will be a successor in the future. The company has been emailing this information to its business partners during the past week.
Jens Lauritsen, chief product officer at the Danish XR company Virsabi, shared Microsoft’s message on his LinkedIn profile. It starts with Microsoft announcing a “Last Time Buy for HoloLens 2.” The company will continue selling the device until stock runs out.
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It’s on a first-come, first-served basis, so you’ll have to act fast if you want to buy the device. You can buy a HoloLens 2 over on Microsoft’s digital storefront. Prices start at $3,500.
All remaining HoloLens 2 headsets will continue to receive security updates and patches to maintain functionality until December 31, 2027.
In addition to the HoloLens 2 news, Microsoft revealed that the first-generation HoloLens will see its final service update on December 10, 2024. The older model will continue working, but it’ll no longer receive security patches or technical support.
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While it’s sad that the HoloLens 2 is in its final days, it is not surprising. Businesses and professional users didn’t seem interested in the device when it first came out in 2019. The headset just never caught on.
Other problems surfaced. In 2022, Alex Kipman, the lead developer on the HoloLens project, left Microsoft following misconduct allegations. Earlier this year, the company laid off more than 1,000 employees, some from mixed reality teams. The HoloLens 2 has been on its last legs for months now.
A few years ago, rumors circulated that Microsoft was working on a HoloLens 3. However, as Business Insider reported in 2022, that project was scrapped.
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Despite the cancellation, Microsoft isn’t leaving the world of virtual reality. The tech giant has a partnership with Meta. It has brought Xbox Cloud Gaming and Office web apps to Quest headsets. Later this year, the Meta Quest 3S will gain the ability to extend the display of a Windows 11 laptop to a virtual screen just by looking at the computer.
But in terms of first-party hardware, Microsoft seems to be done with the technology.
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Source: Robotics - zdnet.com
