Microsoft brings holograms into the real world
At Microsoft’s Windows 10 event, the company unveils a new augmented reality experience for the platform called HoloLens.
Using a special holographic headset, Windows 10 users can make holograms appear in real life. Not on a screen. In the room, anchored to space.
This is the kind of step-change that reframes computing from something you look at to something you live inside.
What makes HoloLens different
HoloLens is positioned as an untethered augmented reality experience, built to feel like a real device rather than a lab prototype.
The device is said to use:
- See-through lenses
- Spatial sound
- Advanced sensors
- A dedicated holographic processing unit
Together, these elements aim to deliver a state-of-the-art mixed reality experience without cables or external trackers.
Why this matters
HoloLens signals a shift in interface design.
Instead of dragging windows around a flat screen, digital objects become part of physical space. Apps turn into holograms. Workflows become spatial. Interaction becomes more natural because it maps to how people already understand the world.
This is not augmented reality as a feature. It is AR as a new computing layer.
A few fast answers before you act
Is HoloLens virtual reality?
No. It is augmented reality using see-through lenses that overlay holograms onto the real world.
What is the key technical promise?
Untethered, spatially aware holograms powered by sensors, spatial sound, and a dedicated holographic processing unit.
What makes this the next step of computing?
The interface moves off the screen and into physical space, changing how we build, learn, collaborate, and create.