Microsoft is currently making the third wave of HoloLens Developer Edition units available, giving more developers the chance to get the company’s augmented reality headset. The $3,000 hardware will allow devs to create content for the HoloLens ahead of its launch to consumers later in the year. Microsoft also said it will be holding demonstrations for the headset in a number of cities.
As with previous waves, the HoloLens Developer Edition will allow users to view a private store where they can choose to purchase the device. Microsoft says the third wave windows will be held “over a period of three to four weeks” and developers will receive invites to demo events in New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
It is unclear how many units will be sent out through this wave, but the company has been clear that it wants to make a rich content ecosystem before launching HoloLens to consumers. That means the more developers getting the HoloLens Developer Edition, the more content can be created to justify the huge cost of the unit.
Speaking of cost, Microsoft has said the HoloLens is unlikely to cost $3,000 in its consumer-oriented form, but it will certainly be an expensive piece of kit. HoloLens mastermind, Alex Kipman, said in February that there needs to be enough content to make the device a compelling purchase with longevity.
The Windows Store is slowly filling up with apps and services that are HoloLens compatible, and Microsoft has also been readying its own services for augmented reality.
Indeed, HoloLens is being shown to have potential far beyond being a new entertainment format, with Microsoft saying business interest in the headset has been unprecedented. The company has also shown numerous cases of HoloLens being implemented to further scientific and/or medical research.
