Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality (AR) business is unraveling.
AR solutions, from Microsoft’s HoloLens and Apple’s ARKit for the iPhone, have produced great demos, but turning demos into must-have products that people are willing to pay for has been challenging.
Below is a short timeline of HoloLens highlighting its exciting promise to its disappointing reality.
April 29, 2015 - Microsoft Shows HoloLens' Augmented Reality Is No Gimmick (WIRED)
TODAY, MICROSOFT DEMONSTRATED how far its augmented-reality HoloLens wonderland project has come. In fact, it cemented HoloLens's place as one of the most exciting new technologies we have
March 31, 2021 - Microsoft wins U.S. Army contract for augmented reality headsets, worth up to $21.9 billion over 10 years (CNBC)
The deal shows Microsoft can generate meaningful revenue from a futuristic product resulting from years of research, beyond core areas such as operating systems and productivity software.
October 13, 2022 - Microsoft’s Army Goggles Left US Soldiers With Nausea, Headaches in Test (Bloomberg)
US soldiers using Microsoft Corp.’s new goggles in their latest field test suffered “mission-affecting physical impairments” including headaches, eyestrain and nausea, according to a summary of the exercise compiled by the Pentagon’s testing office.
January 12, 2023 - Microsoft Combat Goggles Falter as Congress Says No to Buying More (Bloomberg)
Microsoft Corp. won’t be getting more orders for its combat goggles anytime soon after Congress rejected the US Army’s request for $400 million to buy as many as 6,900 of them this fiscal year.
January 18, 2023 - Microsoft Job Cuts Hit HoloLens Unit After Setback on Army Goggles (Bloomberg)
[Microsoft] will reduce its HoloLens goggles business as it scales back work on a headset for the US Army that Congress declined to fund this year
Workforce reductions began Wednesday in Microsoft’s mixed-reality group, which makes HoloLens and IVAS
the executive in charge of the Army goggles project was leaving Microsoft
Last year, Alex Kipman, the executive overseeing HoloLens, exited
Microsoft isn’t alone in its AR challenges. In 2020 Magic Leap had a near-death experience, and the Meta Quest Pro, launched this past fall, has received dismal reviews.
Analysts expect Apple to launch its AR headset this year. Will Apple be the first company with a winning AR solution?
UPDATE 1: Microsoft laid off its entire Mixed Reality Tookit team.
UPDATE 2: Microsoft is shutting down AltspaceVR, the social VR platform it acquired in 2017.
