Microsoft introduced the HoloLens – a new first party AR headset that sets itself apart by combining virtual elements with the real world.
The main differences between this tech and third party options like the Occulus rift are the visual game-play. Where most of the current devices are aiming for total immersion into the virtual world, the Hololens acts as an accessory to the world we live in. The lens for a visor that allows you to see the real world around you, except with the aesthetic of gaming elements.
In the presentation at the Microsoft Press Conference, Brand Director Lydia Winters demonstrated the technology through the use of a small coffee table and the creative adventure experience that is Minecraft.
Her assistant was able to view the world of Minecraft from a whole new perspective thanks to the HoloLens and the table, which can be substituted with an array of house hold decor such as a computer desk. In other words, the headset allows you to play the game out in the real world, with your hands and voice as the controller.
Telling the peripheral to zoom in or out will bring you closer to what ever you are looking at. Reaching your hand out in front of you allows you to interact with every little detail, and grabbing the map gives you the ability to move it around and change what you are looking at. What is even cooler is that the lens knows how far away you are from the object, and by simply leaning in your head, you can peak inside of virtual houses and see what your buddies are doing inside.
The upcoming year is looking extremely well for Microsoft and its fans with the announcement of their tech line up. Although there is no official release for the HoloLens.
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