Microsoft HoloLens to Launch for Developers 'Within the Next Year'

Developers, now is the time to rejoice. Microsoft's HoloLens headset will become available to you a little sooner than originally expected. In an interview, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that the first developer version of its augmented reality headset will be ready "within the next year."

In an interview with BBC, Nadella said that Microsoft will release 'V1' (or version 1) of the HoloLens headset "within the next year". He further noted that the the new hologram-projecting device will be focused "more around developers and enterprises." To recall, the HoloLens is the company's headset that overlays digital graphics on top of the real world, and was unveiled alongside a holographic UI for Windows.

The HoloLens lets the wearer virtually reach out and manipulate virtual objects. Nadella says that the consumer version could take considerably longer to hit the market. It's "a five year journey," he said. The delay suggests that Microsoft is trying to overcome the biggest limitations of the HoloLens: the field view. The additional time will also let HoloLens, and Windows 10, mature.

While still in the developing stage, the HoloLens has already attracted big players in the industry. AutoDesk, a software corporation well known for making tools for architecture, engineering, and manufacturing among other fields, recently showcased how its engineers sitting in different locations were able to interact with the physically present framework of a motorbike design project. The wearable took note of the changes they made, and also logged the comments and decisions.