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[FonkyByNature]

The tech is really cool but i don't think there's much use for it for games other than streaming your console on a virtual screen with HoloLens.

But for business, this is a game changer imo. I know Microsoft are working with Autodesk on some version of Autocad that uses the HoloLens. This will be a great tool for visualisation in 3d and presentations.

 

[Synth]

I'm not understanding how this will destroy the television industry...

Only one person can view this at a time... You really think family A is gonna buy 4 hololens' to watch Disney

To be fair, family A already often buys multiple TVs in order to have them in more than one place, or to have multiple people watch more than one thing at once.

 

[Kabuki Quantum Lover]

I believe Microsoft is cursed with being possibly too ahead of its time (again). Give it five years and another company (be it Google or Apple) will launch a better AR alternative and it'll take off like gangbusters. In fact, it'll probably be Google if they can evolve Glass from being the equivalent of a cellphone glued to your face to be an actual life/activity-improving tool.

 

[Ol No Bones]

The tech is really cool but i don't think there's much use for it for games other than streaming your console on a virtual screen with HoloLens.

But for business, this is a game changer imo. I know Microsoft are working with Autodesk on some version of Autocad that uses the HoloLens. This will be a great tool for visualisation in 3d and presentations.

These comments baffle me. Of course there is use for gaming. We are talking about 3D images interacting in real space. This early version likely won't make a huge splash in gaming but of course there is huge potential there. This may be the an evolution of computing in general in the long run.

 

[Par Score]

Based on the description of the FOV, all this guy can see is a laughably tiny slice of that turbine thing filling the middle of his vision, with nothing in the periphery.

Until they solve this for 180°+ FOV it seems like a totally worthless boondoggle.

 

[Madness]

I simply can't see this taking off, be it for games or other use....

What? This right here is the exact future. What do you mean you can't see it taking off? Unlike virtual reality, augmented reality allows you to stay grounded in the real world. Hololens itself may not be the future with its limited FoV, and early troubles, but something else definitely will.

Imagine being at home but having your teacher pop up in front of your eyes and teach you with you just sitting on your sofa or taking notes. Learning about world War II? Here is a virtual map on your table showing where the allies landed, where the Nazi's moved troops etc.

Or being in front of the sink and having your dad or a plumber tell you exactly what to do? Your hololens projects the image of your sink to them and they just draw movements that show seamlessly in front of your eyes.

Imagine sitting at a cafe and having a conversation with your significant other at the same time and you're having your coffee, she's in front of you.

Obviously that's all theoretical, but this here has the capability to go far beyond gaming and it will, why? Because it just complements our already screen watching lifestyle. Google Glass, AR in the 3DS, these are all steps in part of the same way.

Virtual Reality is the final step, because it is totally immersive, otherwise Augmented Reality and wearables are going to completely be part of our life within the next decade or so.

 

[Zedox]

These comments baffle me.

Everytime I see someone say something along the lines of: "I can't see how this will work with games"...

 

[DarthWalden]

Can you imagine if they can somehow fit all this processing power into a contact lenses some day?

Everyone will be like the terminator.

 

[GuitarAtomik]

If I could synch a controller to holones and it can process a game, it would be the definitive portable gaming device. Streaming games to it is other option.

You can definitely do that.

 

[ShamePain]

What? This right here is the exact future. What do you mean you can't see it taking off? Unlike virtual reality, augmented reality allows you to stay grounded in the real world. Hololens itself may not be the future with its limited FoV, and early troubles, but something else definitely will.

Imagine being at home but having your teacher pop up in front of your eyes and teach you with you just sitting on your sofa or taking notes. Learning about world War II? Here is a virtual map on your table showing where the allies landed, where the Nazi's moved troops etc.

Or being in front of the sink and having your dad or a plumber tell you exactly what to do? Your hololens projects the image of your sink to them and they just draw movements that show seamlessly in front of your eyes.

Imagine sitting at a cafe and having a conversation with your significant other at the same time and you're having your coffee, she's in front of you.

Obviously that's all theoretical, but this here has the capability to go far beyond gaming and it will, why? Because it just complements our already screen watching lifestyle. Google Glass, AR in the 3DS, these are all steps in part of the same way.

Virtual Reality is the final step, because it is totally immersive, otherwise Augmented Reality and wearables are going to completely be part of our life within the next decade or so.

idk, Youtube and Skype pretty much cover everything you've said.

 

[Cleve]

Does it have a social element? Because I assume for a lot of people TV is a social as well as a solo experience.

It doesn't disable the social experience you have with other people already. The goal of this project seems to be as a new way to consume media while continuing to interact with the surrounding world. Can you imagine watching a football game with a friend while you're both using something like this and you're watching from the 30 yard line while he watches from an overhead camera and you can continue to talk about plays while you can each choose your own perspective/stream of content.

It's got a long way to go for sure, and clearly needs to come down in price, but in 15 years, this tech is going to be incredibly cool more for other applications than just gaming for me.

idk, Youtube and Skype pretty much cover everything you've said.

Those can't project things in to your fov as it moves. This tech is more about changing how you view content rather than the content itself though. I'm sure there will be a hololens skype. Being able to see a breakdown of your plumbing valves right next to you as you work on them is something youtube on a current device can't accomplish. I do disagree with the poster you quoted about vr being the future ar being the present. Both have a lot of growing to do in the next couple of decades.

If this had a wide FOV it would be amazing. They are really on to something here if they can improve the FOV and make the whole thing smaller.

There's tons of potential here for sure.

Yeah, it definitely will be. This is gen 1 of a really ambitious project. I can't wait to see where this goes.

 

[Anton Sugar]

This video on the other hand...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hp0PA_qHqI

Nice.

I think people see these and are still worried about how much you'll see, but even in this video, it's a fairly narrow FOV. I can absolutely see this kind of use happening *if* the room is large/wide enough.

idk, Youtube and Skype pretty much cover everything you've said.

My favorite thing about Youtube is when it projects holographic history maps onto my desk.

 

[kiguel182]

If this had a wide FOV it would be amazing. They are really on to something here if they can improve the FOV and make the whole thing smaller.

There's tons of potential here for sure.

 

[kiguel182]

My favorite thing about Youtube is when it projects holographic history maps onto my desk.

Clearly you don't have the latest beta version.

 

[tattooed_dwarf]

By the time this comes to market I will have my PSVR or Oculus/Vive and have zero interest in this.
.

They aren't even for same things as Hololens, why comparison like that? And how interested would you really be if it came before those VR sets?

 

[RoadHazard]

Enticing in many ways (as AR has always been), but certainly not as interesting for immersive gaming experiences as VR. And the tech really needs to improve.

 

[GuitarAtomik]

Virtual Reality is the final step, because it is totally immersive, otherwise Augmented Reality and wearables are going to completely be part of our life within the next decade or so.

I do disagree with the poster you quoted about vr being the future ar being the present. Both have a lot of growing to do in the next couple of decades.

Yeah, I'd say AR is the final step. At a reductive level, VR is just fully immersive AR and less complicated then having to mix the virtual elements with your real world. I wouldn't even call it the final step (something like the holodeck or neural implants would be closer to that), but the farther evolution of this stuff is an AR device (whether that's a headset, or glasses, or contacts, or whatever) that can fully block your view and become VR.

 

[Ol No Bones]

Enticing in many ways (as AR has always been), but certainly not as interesting for immersive gaming experiences as VR. And the tech really needs to improve.

AR is more appealing for me in the long run. I don't like the idea of shutting off many senses completely. I have a wife and kids. Wearing headphones and a vr headset is just not practical for any significant amount of time.

 

[Synth]

Nice.

I think people see these and are still worried about how much you'll see, but even in this video, it's a fairly narrow FOV. I can absolutely see this kind of use happening *if* the room is large/wide enough.

Yea, the interesting thing about this video is that it gives a pretty good idea of what sort of viewing space you can see through the device. You can approximate the viewable area by contrasting it with the space he's viewing it in as he turns around... it shouldn't be too hard to get a viewing size comparable to how many watch TV today without much issue tbh. I mean, if I do the whole "outstretched arms, thumbs touching" thing in front of my 42" TV, the TV comfortably fits within the boundaries at about 7 feet... and I have long fucking arms.

EDIT: Wrong video link... I meant this one...

You can definitely do that.

 

[Owari]

The FoV needs to increase x4 if they want HoloLens to be a success. I think it's possible, though.

 

[wolffy71]

The device could be amazing in an educational setting. Gaming, while it could have some really interesting features, would be overshadowed by VR. It has potential to be a great tool.

Isn't this what people thought google glasses were going to do before being completely disappointed? Basically overlay the real world with data from glasses.

 

[Hoo-doo]

Why?

It has the potential to destroy the television industry. They just have to make it smaller.

Lol, this gif is a complete joke.

This video on the other hand...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hp0PA_qHqI

This less so, but is it even capable of projecting a non-transparent image? Can it project the colour black?

 

[Sydle]

It's hard to believe this was once a Xbox team project before Nadella changed its focus. I just can't imagine it being all that successful as a gaming project with such a narrow FOV. As a commercial visualization tool it totally makes sense.

I'm somewhat excited to see future iterations where the FOV is much wider and the experience more immersive. Then it may be more appealing for gaming.

 

[M3d10n]

As it is it right now won't have much use outside from certain industries, but it's good that it exists in some commercial capacity in order to kick off the necessary R&D to keep improving the tech. The fact this thing works at all in 2015 is remarkable enough, my mind goes crazy just imagining how things will be 10-20 years from now.

A perfected version of the tech (small, comfortable, with a wide FOV and capable of darkening parts of the display for occlusion) can completely change computing in a similar measure as smartphones did.

 

[Tigress]

I simply can't see this taking off, be it for games or other use....

I can easily see it for practical uses but not for games other than gimmicky ones.

 

[cakely]

Make no mistake ... I'm incredibly excited about the future of AR. Read Vernor Vinge's "Rainbows End" if you'd like a description of what an AR-heavy near-future world would be like.

HoloLens is just a necessary baby step until we get to comfortable, unobtrusive, wearable AR gear, and the faster we get there, the better.

Also, I'm sorry, but that gif with the projected soccer game on the wall is just a fictional mockup. HoloLens will never work like that in terms of resolution and UI.

 

[aarstar]

Real life Dennou Coil

 

[Owari]

Make no mistake ... I'm incredibly excited about the future of AR. Read Vernor Vinge's "Rainbows End" if you'd like a description of what an AR-heavy near-future world would be like.

HoloLens is just a necessary baby step until we get to comfortable, unobtrusive, wearable AR gear, and the faster we get there, the better.

Also, I'm sorry, but that gif with the projected soccer game on the wall is just a fictional mockup. HoloLens will never work like that in terms of resolution and UI.

Never? I'd give it 2-3 years, max.

 

[Hellsing321]

The limited FOV kills this things potential for most purposes I'd care about. I don't want to have to move around or step back so a virtual screen is in my entire FOV.

 

[FonkyByNature]

These comments baffle me. Of course there is use for gaming. We are talking about 3D images interacting in real space. This early version likely won't make a huge splash in gaming but of course there is huge potential there. This may be the an evolution of computing in general in the long run.

Sure for Eyepet like games but i'm talking hardcore stuff. You think you're gonna play Halo with HoloLens ? yeah Halo streamed from your console on a virtual screen but i'm talking a real game. Do you have any examples so i can understand better how HoloLens can be used in games ?

 

[SmarmySmurf]

I want HoloLens and I want it used in every single game on my Xbox.... but after MS willingly just dropped Kinect (in games) when it wasn't getting enough traction anymore, and they never did much with smartglass, I simply don't trust MS with these kinds of things anymore. I don't really care that much about non-gaming applications, neat as they are in theory.

 

[cakely]

Never? I'd give it 2-3 years, max.

Think of the DPI in the display you'd need to render a convincing HDTV image projected at an arbitrary angle on a surface in your home.

Then, figure out what kind of insane motion tracking you'd need so that it rendered the image behind your hand instead of in front.

It's a fantasy mockup, and it's absolutely not due in 2-3 years.

 

[Hanmik]

 

[GuitarAtomik]

Sure for Eyepet like games but i'm talking hardcore stuff. You think you're gonna play Halo with HoloLens ? yeah Halo streamed from your console on a virtual screen but i'm talking a real game. Do you have any examples so i can understand better how HoloLens can be used in games ?

Depends on what you define as "hardcore". I could easily see something like Rez built for this. A controller can be hooked up so something like Super Stardust could totally work and you could actually look around the planet as it floated in front of you. Would you consider those casual?

 

[Owari]

Think of the DPI in the display you'd need to render a convincing HDTV image projected at an arbitrary angle on a surface in your home.

Then, figure out what kind of insane motion tracking you'd need so that it rendered the image behind your hand instead of in front.

It's a fantasy mockup, and it's absolutely not due in 2-3 years.

It's not going to be 1080p but I could see 720p which really wouldn't look that bad. The motion tracking can be accomplished with two XB1 Kinect systems. The biggest barrier preventing them from doing stuff like this atm is the FoV problem which I think in 2-3 years will be solved.

 

[FonkyByNature]

LOL this is great !

 

[Zedox]

Sure for Eyepet like games but i'm talking hardcore stuff. You think you're gonna play Halo with HoloLens ? yeah Halo streamed from your console on a virtual screen but i'm talking a real game. Do you have any examples so i can understand better how HoloLens can be used in games ?

So having the entire HUD "on your eyes" instead of the screen doesn't entice you at all? Looking at your own coffee table/living room table and seeing a "real life" Cortana doesn't entice you at all? Them presenting a map of the area you are about to go on a mission with and you can look at it in "true" 3D doesn't entice you at all?

I don't think you have imagination...honestly.

 

[Synth]

Sure for Eyepet like games but i'm talking hardcore stuff. You think you're gonna play Halo with HoloLens ? yeah Halo streamed from your console on a virtual screen but i'm talking a real game. Do you have any examples so i can understand better how HoloLens can be used in games ?

I definitely don't think the device will be well suited for games like Halo, as the idea of moving about the game's world contradicts that of the world you're in. Similarly though, I don't think this sort of game works well in VR either, due to the idea of moving around the game's world contradicting with the actions you make in real life. For VR the solution at the moment seems to be mostly limiting games to a cockpit scenario, or other confined space that the user isn't supposed to step out of. AR would also likely need to have games that played to its strengths rather than attempt to emulated genres that are incompatible with its confines.

 

[cakely]

That is ... wonderful.

 

[Head.spawn]

Just my opinion, but literally the only issue with it is the FOV and the thing had not hit market yet so I don't see the big hang up.

Everything else about it works exactly as described. It's super responsive, looks good, easy to control and seemed comfortable for the amount of time I used it.

As the tech matures, I would assume that would be the area they are working on. As time goes on I can only see that aspect getting better.

 

[Hoo-doo]

So having the entire HUD "on your eyes" instead of the screen doesn't entice you at all? Looking at your own coffee table/living room table and seeing a "real life" Cortana doesn't entice you at all? Them presenting a map of the area you are about to go on a mission with and you can look at it in "true" 3D doesn't entice you at all?

I don't think you have imagination...honestly.

It'll excel at that stuff, sure. That's AR in a nutshell.

But where does the actual first-person shooter come in?

 

[Madness]

idk, Youtube and Skype pretty much cover everything you've said.

You just proved my point. We've already taken steps towards augmented reality, this is just another, and in time there will be more.

YouTube and Skype, were once the stuff of fiction. I bet someone in the 80's watched Back to the Future II and said, there is no way we'll have people making video calls through our televisions or screens in 2015 yet here we are.

Now imagine the Augmented Reality version of Skype, of YouTube, of anything. Wearable technology already took a massive step forward with the Google Glass. Now things like Hololens will come, and then something else. Imagine just wearing a small pair of glasses, or even contact lenses. Going about your daily life, but having a virtual world at your fingertips.

The gaming applications are even better, we saw it with 3DS. But imagine, rather than playing Pokémon where you watch the little screen, your son is out in the yard, he sees an actual Bulbasaur in your vegetable garden, he throws a virtual pokeball that captures him in front of his very eyes etc. That's just theoretical but we all saw the Minecraft demo for hololens remember. That very type of game is already coming from Nintendo, but uses your smartphone to look at the world around you and show Pokémon etc.

 

[FonkyByNature]

Depends on what you define as "hardcore". I could easily see something like Rez built for this. A controller can be hooked up so something like Super Stardust could totally work and you could actually look around the planet as it floated in front of you. Would you consider those casual?

Not bad examples but for games like Rez or Super Stardust, you need to have great contrast between what you're playing with and the background. So for these kind of games, i would have to be in a dark place for it to work properly which sounds great but in practice don't make that much sense since something like VR would be way better at making these kind of games work the way they're intended.

I see some genres working very well for HoloLens, Minecraft comes to mind but i'm not sure there's a lot of possibilities with a device like that for gaming. If there is, i just don't see it.

 

[OldSkoolFool]

Wonder how long it will be before ea release the millennium falcon chess game from Star Wars?

 

[GuitarAtomik]

Not bad examples but for games like Rez or Super Stardust, you need to have great contrast between what you're playing with and the background. So for these kind of games, i would have to be in a dark place for it to work properly which sounds great but in practice don't make that much sense since something like VR would be way better at making these kind of games work the way they're intended.

I see some genres working very well for HoloLens, Minecraft comes to mind but i'm not sure there's a lot of possibilities with a device like that for gaming. If there is, i just don't see it.

I don't think you need to be in a dark room. This is a demo of the game the Wired guy is describing. Sure REZ itself would need a background, but I'm talking about an experience like it. Super Stardust wouldn't need a BG at all. Just the planet.

 

[panda-zebra]

The FoV needs to increase x4 if they want HoloLens to be a success. I think it's possible, though.

_

 

[FonkyByNature]

So having the entire HUD "on your eyes" instead of the screen doesn't entice you at all? Looking at your own coffee table/living room table and seeing a "real life" Cortana doesn't entice you at all? Them presenting a map of the area you are about to go on a mission with and you can look at it in "true" 3D doesn't entice you at all?

I don't think you have imagination...honestly.

So what you're saying is that it'll complementary with an Xbox console ? which again goes to the point of Eyepet like games in that it's nice but limited and i'm not sure many will use it. I'm not even sure MS would put ressources for the stuff you just described.

And, that is not a example of a game but more of a complimentary experience, just like voice commands were for Mass Effect 3 with kinect support.

 

[Synth]

But where does the actual first-person shooter come in?

.

This is a demo of the game the Wired guy is describing

 

[Blanquito]

As a workplace tool I think it's going to be amazing. But for games it's a total non-starter, and I don't think that's the intended design anyways. The thing with VR is that you're anything, anywhere, whereas with Hololens you're always yourself in your living room.

That's the feeling I get from this as well. It is great for practical uses; workplace, home, etc. But for playing games? Not amazing. There will be games, of course, but they'll be ancillary.

I'm keeping an open mind, however. Things may change.

 

[Ol No Bones]

Sure for Eyepet like games but i'm talking hardcore stuff. You think you're gonna play Halo with HoloLens ? yeah Halo streamed from your console on a virtual screen but i'm talking a real game. Do you have any examples so i can understand better how HoloLens can be used in games ?

I can think of a lot of interesting things honestly. Fighting, RTS, sports, Card Games could be taken to a whole new level. Also with the ability to project a screen any game could work. Its 3D images in a room the possibilities are huge really. Some people in here sound like Luddites.