Why Microsoft HoloLens 2 may not show its face until 2019

(Because it's actually kind of HoloLens 3)
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Microsoft HoloLens 2 will arrive in 2019 claims a new report. Except it will technically be HoloLens 3.

According to Thurrott, citing several of its sources, Microsoft has ditched the second version of its mixed-reality headset in favour of a third iteration that's also been in development. Skipping ahead on the roadmap means we can expect more significant changes in the new headset, which the report says will land in 2019.

What those changes might look like is unknown, but we're hoping for a sleeker design and wider field of view. Right now the developer version of HoloLens is available for the princely sum of , so hopefully v3 resembles something more retail-ready in both specs and price.

Read next: How VR is helping kids with hospital anxiety

It's speculated that by pushing back plans for the next headset Microsoft is taking advantage of a comfortable lead, with no real competitors in the 'mixed reality' arena meaning it can invest more time in making a more substantial leap forward.

Magic Leap, the closest thing to a rival that HoloLens faces, is still largely behind closed doors and rumoured to be trailing behind HoloLens. Plus, a recent report claimed Beyoncé was given a private demo of Leap and found herself bored by the experience. And if Bey isn't impressed, what are you even doing?

Why Microsoft HoloLens 2 may not show its face until 2019



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Hugh Langley

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Now at Business Insider, Hugh originally joined Wareable from TechRadar where he’d been writing news, features, reviews and just about everything else you can think of for three years.

Hugh is now a correspondent at Business Insider.

Prior to Wareable, Hugh freelanced while studying, writing about bad indie bands and slightly better movies. He found his way into tech journalism at the beginning of the wearables boom, when everyone was talking about Google Glass and the Oculus Rift was merely a Kickstarter campaign - and has been fascinated ever since.

He’s particularly interested in VR and any fitness tech that will help him (eventually) get back into shape. Hugh has also written for T3, Wired, Total Film, Little White Lies and China Daily.


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