Microsoft set to launch HoloLens mixed reality headset in China
IT giant seeks to engage the growing community of developers through its enterprise-level 3D imaging gear
Microsoft on Thursday said it planned to make its holographic computer headset HoloLens available in China next year as it sought to cater to the growing community of developers in the country.
At its WinHEC conference held in Shenzhen, executive vice president for Microsoft’s Windows and devices group Terry Myerson revealed that the company had already submitted the device for regulatory approval in China and expected the Microsoft HoloLens to start shipping in the first half of next year.
The enterprise-focused HoloLens headset would first be available to commercial customers and developers in China, the company said. The exact price for China has not yet been announced but the device costs US$3,000 in the United States.
The HoloLens was first launched in the US, Canada, Australia, Ireland, France, Germany, New Zealand and the United Kingdom in October this year. China is the second Asian market that will be able to order the HoloLens. The device was launched in Japan last week.
“There is more energy around mixed reality in Asia than in other parts of the world,” said Myerson, adding that there would be an “infraction point” where mixed reality, or the merging of the physical and virtual worlds in real-time to produce a new environment or visualisations, became mainstream.
Myerson also believed that when the technology became more popular, Microsoft’s technology and devices around mixed reality would become a significant part of the company’s business.