HoloLens 2 was announced last February. Despite Microsoft saying the device is enterprise-only, a Development Edition arrived soon after. However, the whole point of the edition has been lost. Microsoft has been slow to roll out HoloLens 2 to developers. Microsoft’s second-generation AR platform was quickly launching in the United Kingdom, United States, China, Japan, Canada, Ireland, Germany, New Zealand, France, and Australia. However, dev availability remained relatively low. Speaking earlier this year, HoloLens chief Alex Kipman said Microsoft is manufacturing to keep up with demand. He said major enterprise partners were the first priority. Speaking to RoadtoVR, Microsoft now says availability is opening up to more developers. “Microsoft Store agents are connecting with everyone who submitted a form, starting with those who signed up first and working to the present. Given the unprecedented demand, this may take some time.”
Full Specs
For developers coming to the HoloLens experience for the first time, here is the specsheet for the second generation. Display:
Optics – See-through holographic lenses (waveguides) Resolution – 2k 3:2 light engines Holographic Density – >2.5k radiants (light points per radian) Eye-based Rendering – Display optimization for 3D eye position
Sensors & Audio:
Depth – Azure Kinect sensor IMU – Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer Camera – 8MP stills, 1080p30 video Microphone Array – 5 channels Speakers – Built-in, Spatial Audio
Human Understanding:
Hand Tracking – Two-handed fully articulated model, direct manipulation Eye Tracking – Real-time tracking Voice – Command and control on-device, Natural Language with internet connectivity
Environmental Understanding:
6DoF Tracking – World-scale positional tracking Spatial Mapping – Real-time environment mesh Mixed Reality Capture – Mixed hologram and physical environment photos and videos
Compute & Connectivity:
SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 Compute Platform HPU: 2nd Generation Custom-built Holographic Processing Unit WiFi: 802.11ac 2×2 Bluetooth: 5.0 USB: USB Type-C
Power:
Battery Life – 2-3 hours of active use Charging – USB Power Delivery – Fast Charging Thermals – Passively Cooled
Fit:
Size – Fits over glasses, size using adjustment dial
Software:
Windows Holographic OS Edge Remote Assist Layout Guides 3D Viewer OneDrive for Business
