Microsoft is making developer models of its ambitious HoloLens augmented reality headset available for pre-order today – and the price is steep.
It’s been a little over a year since Microsoft wowed the tech world with its entirely unexpected take on VR. Microsoft HoloLens promised to transform the world around you in a way that no pure VR experience can even begin to touch.
Which is why we’ve been particularly eager to learn of its price and availability ever since. Well, Microsoft has provided a major update on both fronts. Kind of.
From today, initial HoloLens headsets can be pre-ordered by certain developers. As that suggests, there’s a list of caveats meaning most people won’t be getting one.
Most obviously, you need to be a developer to be in with a shout of owning a HoloLens Development Edition. In fact, you need to be a developer operating in the US or Canada. You also need to be signed up to the Windows Insider program.
Related: What is HoloLens?
Just as prohibitive – and perhaps more so – is the price of the HoloLens Development Edition. It’ll set you back $3,000, which works out to a little over £2,160.
According to a leaked report, the first HoloLens units will start shipping out to developers from March 30. It will ship with three playable HoloLens games developed by Microsoft (Fragments, Young Conker, and RoboRaid), and gaming seems to be a strong focus at this early point. It’ll also ship with an enhanced version of Skype and HoloTour, which offers 360 degree tours of real world locations.
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Are you interested in Microsoft’s HoloLens vision of VR? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
