Microsoft failed in another area. There will be no new equipment

Microsoft will not produce any more HoloLens augmented reality headsets. There will be no next version either. A company representative confirmed the end of the project on the UploadVR website. The reason is “confusion and strategic uncertainty” within the company. These conditions prevailed after the departure of a key figure in the world of augmented reality – Alex Kipman – from Microsoft in 2022.

Microsoft encourages interested customers to purchase the devices before supplies run out. No new deliveries are expected. The decision will not affect Microsoft’s cooperation with the US Army.

I have HoloLens, what next?

HoloLens 2 devices have been on the market since 2019. They will receive security updates until December 31, 2027, so owners have over 3 years of safe fun with Microsoft’s XR goggles. From 2028, the hardware will not be supported. This does not mean, of course, that it will stop working and you will probably still be able to develop your own software on them. The latter, of course, depends on the availability and compatibility of development libraries with newer PC software.

HoloLens 2 improved many of the flaws of its predecessors, but still faced criticism. Their field of view is too narrow and the image quality does not satisfy users. At the same time, the goggles are heavy and not very comfortable. They did not make a name for themselves on the consumer market, and in the business world they were quickly outdone by Magic Leap products.

The situation is very similar to what happened to Microsoft smartphones with Windows Mobile. It started great, but then something broke and the devices couldn’t withstand the competition. However, this is not a problem of the goggle market itself – Magic Leap, HTC, Meta and Apple products are doing well in their niches.