Microsoft HoloLens 2 May Arrive This Month

Microsoft may be preparing to release the second version of HoloLens, with a senior executive saying the devices would go on sale in September.

HoloLens 2 was announced at Mobile World Congress in February as the successor to the first edition of the device, which made its debut some four years ago.

Microsoft said at the time HoloLens 2 would arrive later in the year, and the company’s executive vice president Harry Shum told the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai late last week that the device would go on sale in September, Reuters reported.

Microsoft confirmed HoloLens 2 is still set to arrive “later this year”, but declined to say whether it would have a September release date.

Prototype

The company said it has begun taking “expressions of interest” for preorders and have shared “near-final prototypes” with some customers.

The company added that it has “not announced a date for general availability”, but did not deny that the release may come later this month.

The $3,500 HoloLens 2 is an augmented reality headset featuring an improved field of vision over its predecessor, a new Azure Kinect sensor, and ARM processor, eye-tracking sensors and a different display system.

Microsoft said in February it has improved gesture control to make it easier to manipulate virtual objects.

The company has also adopted a more open model for the HoloLens update, with an open app store, and open web browsing model and open APIs and drivers.

The changes helped convince Epic Games to provide HoloLens 2 support for Unreal Engine 4, which developers can use to create photorealistic renders for use in areas such as manufacturing, product design and architecture.