With all of this talk about the Vision Pro and the Meta Quest 3 being destined to become two of the best AR/VR headsets of the near future, we forgot all about Microsoft! That’s right, good ol’ Windows-maker LTD is also making mixed reality headsets titled HoloLens.
In fact, at the time of writing, we’re still expecting more news on the HoloLens 2, which is almost a reality. Why almost? Well, because it still needs some work, but in order for that to get done, funding is required and wouldn’t you know it, military testing exists.
Now, prepping soldiers in a virtual reality space is way cheaper and probably loads more safer than whatever else the US military was doing in the past. However, the success of the HoloLens 2 may be entirely reliant on the success of the next batch of VR training.
This overall play probably showcases the expertise of Microsoft’s corporate department if anything else. I mean, why not supply the military with experimental VR headsets for enhanced training and then use that data — and the initial funding — to improve the contraption for a future, wider public release? It just makes sense!
Well, it does, but only if it goes well. And as outlined in this excellent article, which delves into a lot more details, the path has been kind of rocky.
The US military VR training is dubbed IVAS: Integrated Visual Augmentation System and it is supplied through the HoloLens 2 MR. The initial plan was to deploy 121,000 such units, but congress blocked that due to negative feedback from the experience.
After a delay, Microsoft is now only allowed to supply 20 IVAS headsets in order to showcase that the issues are fixed. That’s like, 120,980 less units.
Oh, and also around that time, Microsoft started behaving as if the HoloLens 2 didn’\t exist. The company didn’t mention it during its Inspire event and it was not included in the next monthly earnings call.
Despite all of the setbacks, the device hasn’t been officially canned yet. But the competition is looking to be fierce, so if Microsoft does release it to the public, it has to make sure that its an astounding product. That is, if IVAS doesn’t get canceled before that.
Stan, also known as Stako, is a smartphone enthusiast who loves exploring the limits of Android customization. His journey with mobile tech began with the Nokia 5110 and evolved with devices like the BlackBerry 9350 Curve and Samsung Galaxy A4. Despite his love for Android, he holds equal respect for Apple, considering the iPhone 4s as a significant milestone in mobile tech. Stan started his writing career early, contributing to MetalWorld, and harbors a passion for creative writing. Beyond smartphones, he's interested in photography, design, composition, and gaming, often preferring solo projects to hone his objective thinking. He's also an avid student of open-source technology and consoles, with a special fondness for the Pebble Watch, Arduboy, and Playdate.
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