Production is ending on the HoloLens 2 headset, with no sign of a replacement. In totally unrelated news, MSFT stock dropped 2.23% in a day, bringing the weekly average down to 1.63%, with an asking price at $420.69 after close.
Microsoft has now teamed up with Anduril Industries, the military tech company started by Oculus VR founder Palmer Luckey, to improve its IVAS mixed reality headsets used by the US Army. Microsoft’s initial IVAS headset, based on HoloLens technology, first went into trials in 2021 and includes integrated thermal and night vision imaging sensors in a heads-up display.
Microsoft will under invest in the space and then panic when someone releases a viable product.
Clearly you’ve been listening in on their high-level meetings. How could you possibly be aware of that global strategy?
For major markets that’s actually rare, and usually not even because they under invested, they just didn’t quite get it.
Their actually successful strategy is to make an inferior product, sell it slightly cheaper, undermine the competition, then achieve near monopoly.
But your comment is of course funnier. 😋
They can also leverage the ecosystem effect. If it’s well integrated with some enterprise products, companies might buy it anyway.
Just like they did with the smartphone.
The upcoming Meta AR headset actually looks like it could be viable. Microsoft is giving up, or they know something Meta doesn’t.
Meta is desperate for content and use cases for MR, and nothing comes up. They have been doing jams, they have funds to give to developers, and everything that comes up are basic wave shooters or simple ports (downgrades, really) from VR to MR.
Microsoft has probably figured out that, except for the military, it’s a solution in search of a problem, at least in the current form factor ans with current limitations.
I’ve said this elsewhere: The Company Formerly-known as Facebook’s headset has some impressive features and tech. However, the pixels-per-degree is abysmal. They need to at least triple it to be competitive with smartphones or birdbath optics. I’m not holding my breath but, I’d also not be mad if they succeed and are able to deliver for a reasonable price point.