Microsoft Has Discontinued its HoloLens 2 Headset

Microsoft is discontinuing its HoloLens 2 mixed reality headset nearly five years after its initial release. The company told UploadVR that it has ended production for the $3,499 headset, which will remain available for purchase while supplies last.

The company will continue to support HoloLens 2 headsets with software updates until December 31, 2027. The original HoloLens headset, however, will be unsupported after December 10, 2024.

Even though Microsoft was a pioneer in mixed reality technology with its first HoloLens released back in 2016, the headset and its successor were too expensive to find a consumer audience. And Apple will likely have the same problem with its $3,499 Vision Pro headset, which is too expensive despite offering more consumer-focused features.

Even Meta recently discontinued its $999 Quest Pro mixed reality headset after announcing the much more affordable Quest 3S, which starts at $299. After Microsoft reportedly canceled HoloLens 3 and laid off around 1,000 employees across its Mixed Reality group earlier this year, today’s announcement should come as no surprise.

You may still be wondering about the future of the HoloLens-based Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) for the US Army. Well, Microsoft told UploadVR that it was still “fully committed” to the $22 billion contract. The US military is now planning a new operational test in early 2025, and it will decide to go forward with full-scale production by the end of the next year.