Microsoft HoloLens release date: developer edition to ship next year

Microsoft HoloLens at workmicrosoft.com/microsoft-hololens

Microsoft is in the center of the tech news lately because of the release of its newest platform, Windows 10. However, aside from the software side of the company, many fans are also on the lookout for any details regarding Microsoft hardware, particularly for its first foray into augmented reality, the HoloLens.

It seems that those who want to see the peripheral in action will have to wait a little bit longer since the company will be pushing to test out the HoloLens first.

In an interview with news outfit BBC, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated that the company will be taking a page out of another company's strategy – Microsoft will mimic Oculus and will ship out development kits first before focusing on producing the HoloLens for consumer release. 

The Oculus Rift, another VR product, will start shipping out to consumers by 2016. However, the Rift has already made a presence in the market due to Oculus releasing development kits first. The developer Oculus Rift is now on its second edition.

Projecting the release of the HoloLens development kits, Nadella said, "We're looking forward to getting the V1 out, which is more around developers and enterprises in the Windows 10 time frame, which means it is within the next year."

Although the Windows 10 platform has already been released, not all users have updated to the latest version, since Microsoft is releasing the OS on a staggered basis. Although Microsoft has already said that the HoloLens will be utilizing the new Windows 10, it is unclear if the released version of the platform already supports the peripheral. Nadella also said in the interview that the HoloLens is at least a "five-year journey," and this might mean that the support for the headset on the Windows 10 will roll out in later updates.