Bringing HoloLens to consumer market still part of Microsoft’s AR plans

It has been over five years since Microsoft first announced the HoloLens and while the AR headset has had its updates and upgrades, it is still primarily reserved for developers, engineers and the US military. There has been very little discussion around whether or not the HoloLens will eventually become a consumer product, but as it turns out, consumer-grade AR hardware is still a priority for Microsoft. 

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Microsoft's Alex Kipman, a leader on the HoloLens project, explained that bringing the headset to consumers is still a big part of Microsoft's plan, but getting there is a long journey.

“We are absolutely working on a consumer journey for HoloLens. I’m happy to confirm that and say that is a very important part of our strategy”, Kipman said. “You don’t get to lead a new medium of computing if you’re not going to be in consumer”.

Unfortunately, there is no roadmap or timetable. Current rumours indicate that Apple is going to bring its own Augmented Reality device to the consumer market within the next couple of years. That increased competition may push Microsoft to make some consumer-oriented announcement in a similar time frame.

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KitGuru Says: The HoloLens is an awesome piece of tech, but it is still far too expensive and software/gaming support still needs to be addressed beyond small demos. How long do you think it will take for a HoloLens device to reach consumers?

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