The Microsoft HoloLens is now available for preorder in Australia, with the Development Edition and Commercial Suite to start shipping in late November.Described by Microsoft as “the world’s first self-contained holographic computer”, the HoloLens Development Edition is priced at $4,369 and the Commercial Suite $7,269.
The move, which sees preorders becoming available in a number of new countries, comes ahead of Microsoft updating Windows 10 next year to include Windows Holographic.
“Since the launch of Microsoft HoloLens, we have seen really passionate developers and world-class companies develop groundbreaking computing experiences – experiences only possible on HoloLens” Alex Kipman, Microsoft Windows and Devices Group technical fellow, commented.
“When we set out to pioneer the mixed-reality category, we knew that many of the best innovations would be discovered when others got their hands on the technology.
“It has been quite inspiring to see what our partners have built and what individual developers have created. Together, we have only scratched the surface for what mixed reality can do. I can’t wait to see what happens next as we welcome these new countries to our holographic landscape.”
The International Data Corporation (IDC) in August forecast that worldwide revenues for the augmented reality/virtual reality market will grow from US$5.2 billion this year to more than US$162 billion in 2020, representing a compound annual growth rate of 181.3 per cent, 2015-2020.
While revenues for virtual reality systems are forecast to be greater than augmented reality-related revenues this year and next, largely due to consumer uptake of games and paid content, the IDC forecasts augmented reality revenues to surge ahead after 2017, “hitting critical mass in healthcare delivery and product design and management-related use cases”.
Further information on the HoloLens can be found here.
