Microsoft's HoloLens mixed reality headset will officially be discontinued

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Microsoft has confirmed that it will discontinue its HoloLens line of mixed reality headsets, with production now ceasing and software support on HoloLens 2 ending in December 2027.

HoloLens launched in its original form in 2016, offering a $3,000 mixed reality experience that relied on at least some of the technology found in Microsoft's Kinect accessory for the Xbox. He's perhaps best remembered in gaming circles for the amazing (though never released) Minecraft demo shown before its launch in 2015.

Microsoft's first HoloLens was surpassed by the $3,500 HoloLens 2 in 2019, and while the lineup never saw a consumer device, it made inroads into enterprise use, including healthcare, manufacturing and education. Microsoft also signed a $479 million contract to supply 100,000 HoloLens devices to the US military in 2018, a deal that didn't sit well with employees.

Minecraft on HoloLens, as demonstrated in 2015. Watch on YouTube

Soon, however, HoloLens will no longer exist. Microsoft confirmed it will discontinue the line in a statement provided to UploadVR. Production of the HoloLens 2 has now officially ceased (production of the original HoloLens ended in 2018), with software support for the HoloLens 1 ending on December 10th of this year. As for HoloLens 2, it will continue to receive “updates to address critical security issues and software regressions” until December 31, 2027.

Microsoft, however, says it remains “fully committed” to providing HoloLens technology to the US Army as part of its Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS), but no further HoloLens devices will be developed, despite previous suggestions of a HoloLens 3.

Microsoft's mixed reality ambitions have recently focused on its partnership with Meta, with the company introducing Xbox Cloud Gaming and Office web app support for Quest headsets. Meta, meanwhile, just unveiled its glasses-style AR prototype, Orion.

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