HoloLens may not change the world, but Microsoft and the gaming industry need it to change

“Will Microsoft’s HoloLens change the world?

No, because it’s not from Google or Apple.”

Of course this is just a joke. The scene when Microsoft unveiled its secret weapon HoloLens at the Windows 10 launch conference and won applause from the outside world is still fresh in our minds.

On the evening of October 6, Microsoft held a press conference to announce that the HoloLens developer version will be launched in the first quarter of next year and will be priced at US$3,000 (approximately RMB 18,000). At this time, there are different opinions on the future fate of HoloLens.

HoloLens has a new way to play

When it comes to the application of HoloLens, the first thing that comes to mind is the scene at this year's E3 where Microsoft used HoloLens to demonstrate how "Minecraft" was "built out of thin air", igniting players' endless imagination of new ways to play the game.

This time, Microsoft released a new game on the HoloLens platform, codenamed "X-ray". Through the live demonstration video, we can know that players can play a real-life FPS game after wearing the HoloLens helmet and the corresponding handheld device.

"X-ray" Game Demo

In the game, the HoloLens system will automatically scan the surrounding environment and make calculations based on it, displaying virtual monsters and real scenes in the head-mounted device, and players use weapons mapped by handheld devices to "fight monsters". In addition to shooting attacks, players can also perform game actions such as monster capture and shield defense to make the game process more realistic.

"X-ray" Game Demo

What do you think of after seeing the "X-ray" demonstration? Yes, it is the RoomAlive concept launched by Microsoft last year, which integrates games with physical scenes through the combination of projectors and Kinect. HoloLens is simpler, transforming the projection and motion capture equipment into a head-mounted device, but it is still a long way from the holographic game that can be completed by just moving your fingers in the movie "HER", after all, HoloLens still needs a handheld device.

RoomAlive Demo

Regardless of the final effect, Microsoft has finally developed new games for HoloLens. Although the game format is still relatively simple, the trend of applying virtual reality and holographic technology to games has emerged.

Microsoft and the gaming industry need HoloLens

Microsoft once said in an announcement: "There will be many users and industries that will take advantage of Microsoft HoloLens. Holographic computing technology needs to bring development in all aspects, and games are a major opportunity."

HoloLens is widely recognized to be applicable in the fields of movies (romance and action movies), design, public exhibitions, smart homes, and games. Among them, games are the most popular and most easily accepted by the public. Although game technology has undergone several generations of development, the graphics and content have been greatly changed, but the gameplay has never been revolutionary.

At present, one of the biggest difficulties of AR technology is the real-time rendering interaction of the real environment. According to HoloLens users, the holographic image and the surrounding environment are integrated very harmoniously, which makes it possible to apply AR technology to games. It makes games not just confined to the screen, and the pursuit of immersive experience has always been an important purpose in the gaming industry.

But it is still unclear whether Microsoft can make good use of HoloLens. Back to the joke at the beginning of the article, Microsoft has indeed lacked blockbuster products in recent years. The bloated Microsoft does not lack good technologies and concepts, but it has never had the perseverance to promote technology to the market. Many new technologies died after about two years of research, which often gave the outside world the impression that Microsoft's innovation ability was declining.

Facing the trend of holographic technology, Microsoft, as the first to try it, is not necessarily the best at trying it, nor is it necessarily the one to promote it. The biggest problem for Microsoft with HoloLens is still the time cost. The curiosity of the market is limited. The longer it is delayed, the less patience consumers have. There are countless conceptual products that died in time. Google Glass, which also made a developer version, has been on the market for three years. Judging from the current situation, the product is still not accepted by consumers. The same example is Oculus Rift.

As the most advanced product launched by Microsoft in the past decade, HoloLens faces many challenges. It is expected that in 2016, Oculus, Valve and Sony will launch new technologies in the gaming field. If Microsoft wants to overtake others with HoloLens, it must speed up its research and development.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.