HoloLens ships a self-contained window into mixed reality

Microsoft began shipping the HoloLens Development Edition today to invited developers and commercial partners in the United States and Canada. The $3,000 headset runs Windows 10 without a connected PC, phone or external tracking camera.

Transparent displays place digital objects within the wearer's view, while onboard cameras map the room and recognize gestures. Developers can build holographic applications with familiar Universal Windows Platform tools, and Microsoft is supplying an emulator for teams without immediate hardware access.

The first edition is plainly an experiment rather than a consumer product: its field of view, price and limited distribution will constrain early work. Even so, an untethered device changes what developers can attempt in design, medicine, education and remote assistance. The next question is whether useful applications emerge once the novelty of floating windows and virtual models wears off.