Microsoft's HoloLens Developer Edition Launches March 30 for $3,000

Microsoft has announced that developers who applied to pre-order the HoloLens Development Edition will begin to receive invitations to purchase the device for $3,000, with shipments beginning on March 30 in the U.S. and Canada.

The development kit bundles the HoloLens with a carrying case, Bluetooth 4.1 clicker, wired charger, and an extra nose piece. Microsoft technical fellow Alex Kipman said broader consumer availability remains "further down the line."

Microsoft-HoloLens
Microsoft HoloLens is a cordless, self-contained Windows 10 holographic headset that mixes virtual reality with augmented reality.

HoloLens has see-through holographic lenses with an advanced optical projection system to generate multi-dimensional holograms that allow you to see holographic objects in your world. The headset is also equipped with multiple sensors and a built-in camera that analyze your surrounding environment.

The mixed-reality headset is powered by 32-bit Intel architecture and 2GB of RAM. The device also has 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, USB 2.0, 64GB internal storage, and up to three hours of battery life.

Microsoft will be including seven new apps, games, and tools on the HoloLens, and it encourages developers to create additional experiences for the mixed reality headset leading up to its Build developer conference on March 30.


Microsoft's augmented reality efforts precede Apple, which is rumored have a secret team of hundreds of employees working on a virtual reality headset. Our Apple VR roundup recaps the company's ambitions and competitors like Microsoft's HoloLens, Google's Cardboard, and Facebook's Oculus Rift.

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
Apple John Ternus 2019

Will John Ternus Really Be Apple's Next CEO?

Friday December 5, 2025 9:01 am PST by
There is uncertainty about Apple's head of hardware engineering John Ternus succeeding Tim Cook as CEO, The Information reports. Some former Apple executives apparently hope that a new "dark-horse" candidate will emerge. Ternus is considered to be the most likely candidate to succeed Cook as CEO. The report notes that he is more likely to become CEO than software head chief Craig Federighi, ...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...

Top Rated Comments

teslo Avatar
128 months ago
I honestly can't see the excitement around VR yet. Maybe Apple will make it a necessity when they enter the market.
you don't see any excitement in being able to visit anywhere in the world from your couch? immersive games/classes/hobbies? the educational implications worldwide for Google cardboard? the latter of which means there's massive potential markets that don't even include us silly westerners and our shoot-em-up proclivities.

VR will change the world more dynamically than even TV could ever dream of.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DUCKofD3ATH Avatar
128 months ago
Microsoft's augmented reality is amazing. It's an exact copy of our reality except that in theirs, Clippy was a breakout success.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
9052042 Avatar
128 months ago
Oh man I would love to
Reads story...
Checks address bar at top to verify still on MacRumors...
Ah the same line in EVERY article that is not directly about Apple. Again MacRumors is a gadget news site even if it has just 'Mac' in its name. According to your definition it wouldn't cover even iPhone. I think thats ludicrous but hey you got me to reply so bravo, I guess I'm the idiot here.

This article covers a potential new category of gadgets that may directly impact Apple/Mac, so it makes sense to cover it.

I wish MacRumors staff would punish this waste of space.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bubba Satori Avatar
128 months ago
NEW from Microsoft's pointless gimmick division...
Morning Phil.
Can't innovate your what?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cicalinarrot Avatar
128 months ago
Ok, but will it be compatible with my Zune?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
teslo Avatar
128 months ago
It won't. "VR" is a big scam and absolutely nothing is going to come of it.
yeah! "who needs this 'E-Mail' when i can write a perfectly good letter? absolutely nothing will come of this. next you'll be telling me i should chat with someone on video when i could just be there in person!"
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)