Microsoft is discontinuing its consumer HoloLens headset program, marking a major change for the company. After all, CEO Satya Nadella said in 2016 that HoloLens would be "key" to Microsoft's growth in the future. That didn't end up coming to fruition, though, and the HoloLens program is winding down--at least for consumers. Microsoft will continue to work with the US Army to make a version of the headset for soldiers.
Microsoft confirmed to UploadVR that HoloLens 2 production has ended. Updates for "critical security issues and software regressions" will run through the end of 2027. But software support for HoloLens 2 will come to an end in 2028.
The original HoloLens headset that debuted in 2017 will have its own software support end after December 10, 2024. Production on this device was halted in 2018.
Microsoft is ending the consumer HoloLens program but is staying in business with the United States military to create a custom version of the headset for soldiers. The US Army will run an operational test in 2025 to determine if it will go ahead with full-scale production. A Microsoft spokesperson told UploadVR that Microsoft continues to be "fully committed" to working with the US Army on this initiative.
The headsets are known as Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS), and are an evolution of the company's HoloLens product. In total, the Army has said it will spend more than $20 billion over a decade on research and development of the new soldier technology with Microsoft.
HoloLens was highly touted as a potential game-changing consumer product when it was announced in 2015. Prior to the announcement of the HoloLens consumer product discontinuation, Microsoft's recent mass layoffs affected the HoloLens team. HoloLens boss Alex Kipman left Microsoft in 2022 amid allegations of misconduct.
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