Microsoft HoloLens 2 Development Edition for $3,500

After announcing the second generation holographic viewer at the Mobile World Congress, Microsoft launched the Development Edition, a developer bundle that includes, in addition to HoloLens 2, even $500 Azure credits and a three-month trial of Unity Pro and Unity PiXYZ.

Furthermore, support for Unreal Engine 4 will be available in the bundle before the end of May. Tim Sweeney, founder of Epic Games, announced the support of the graphics engine at the Barcelona trade fair, indicating how it would help ” create high-quality renderings for immersive experiences in mixed reality “. The graphic engine could be used for purposes other than play, as is usually the case.

Unreal Engine 4 could indeed be used to reproduce three-dimensional environments and objects within architectural projects, product designs, and much more. The collaboration between Microsoft and Epic Games is also part of a more extensive strategy with the aim of carrying out an entire ecosystem based on mixed reality: when the company announced HoloLens 2 at the MWC, it promised great attention to the third-party applications (including browsers like Firefox).

Unity will be used for the same purpose: ” Combining the capabilities of HoloLens 2 with the Unity real-time 3D development platform gives companies the opportunity to accelerate innovation, create engaging experiences, and interact with industrial customers in a more interactive way compared to before, ” said Tim McDonough, director of the Unity project. With Unity Pro and Unity PiXYZ companies and developers will be able to create environments and experiences in 2D and 3D faster, both in virtual reality and in augmented reality.

HoloLens 2 Development Edition will cost $ 3,500, just like the standard version, and there will also be the possibility of obtaining it through a sort of monthly $ 99 subscription plan. It will soon be available for pre-order, while the first deliveries are expected by the end of the year.