Microsoft also has a secret project to make you forget about the Vision Pro

© Pexels/Salvatore De Lellis

We sometimes forget it, but Microsoft has been present in the mixed reality market for years. In 2016, the Redmond firm delivered its first Hololens headsets, which were to offer a sort of version of Windows for augmented reality. Unfortunately, although the Hololens interested a few companies, as well as the American army, it never really caught on with the general public (like Google Glass). And in June 2024, the team that developed this headset, Microsoft's mixed reality division, also underwent a restructuring which, according to a CNBC article, would have caused the departure of 1,000 employees.

Microsoft would not have said its last word

But the good news is that despite the Hololens flop, Microsoft has not abandoned the mixed reality market. In any case, this is what is suggested by an article recently published by the Korean media The Elec. According to this article, Microsoft has also signed a contract with Samsung Display to supply screens for its next mixed reality product. This contract would provide for a supply of hundreds of thousands of units. The Elec article also indicates that Microsoft is preparing a mixed reality product more oriented towards the general public, which would be mainly used for video games and for the consumption of multimedia content. On the other hand, this product could only arrive in 2026.

Mixed reality pushed by Apple and AI

< p>By launching its Vision Pro headset, Apple may have done a favor to other companies already working on mixed reality. Indeed, the launch sparked public interest in this type of product. And the fact that Apple has invested in mixed reality can also be seen as a form of validation of the investments made by its competitors. Otherwise, it is also worth noting that in the long term, mixed reality products will be a perfect form factor for AI-based features.

• Microsoft is already present in the mixed reality market, having already developed the Hololens augmented reality headset
• However, this headset has not really caught the attention of the general public
• But the Redmond firm is reportedly preparing a new product, which would be used to play games and watch multimedia content

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