Microsoft HoloLens X-Ray Video Game (Photo : YouTube )
Microsoft will be showcasing its HoloLens augmented reality (AR) headset during a road trip that will include 40 demonstrations of VR tech in 10 United States cities and Toronto. The operating system giant's hands-on trials for developers will start in its hometown of Seattle and also include Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, and New York City on the itinerary. The U.S. tour will last from October to November.
Microsoft introduced the HoloLens AR headset in January. Its mixed reality gadget blends the virtual and real worlds on top of applications such as a Minecraft game or Skype window, according to PC Mag.
The Seattle-based company has showed off several applications of the new tech. They include a holographic video game, and NASA exploration of Mars' surface.
At the Microsoft Windows 10 event on October 6, Tuesday, the company gave a Project X-Ray demo. It is a mixed reality game in which players must battle an army of insidious spider-like hologram robots that attack the living room of the smart glasses user.
Microsoft has stressed the fact that the high-tech goggles would require no wires, smartphone, or PC connection, according to ABC News. This would allow the wearer to walk around freely in a mixed-reality environment.
A pricey $3,000 developer's version is scheduled to ship in the U.S. and Canada, sometimes in Q1 of 2016. The first consumer version will likely hit the retail market sometime next year.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in August that the headset's first version is within the Windows 10 timeframe. Thus, it will launch during the next year.
Other tech giants are also developing virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality headsets. They include Facebook's Oculus Rift, Sony PlayStation VR, Samsung Gear VR, and Google Cardboard.
This video is a demo of the HoloLens X-Ray mixed-reality video game:
