Microsoft seems to have problems in its virtual reality division. According to Business Insider, who mentions sources close to the company, Microsoft would have decided to cancel the launch of the third generation of its mixed reality glasses; the HoloLens 3. A decision that seems not to have been in vain, but that has caused doubts, uncertainty and a division of opinions among part of the team dedicated to the development of this device.
According to the aforementioned medium, Microsoft's goal is to partner with Samsung to announce a new mixed reality viewer. However, both companies disagree on the manufacturing processes. Microsoft, on the one hand, doesn't seem to want to give up the HoloLens technology they developed themselves. Samsung, on the other hand, opts for the firm to only be in charge of the software area, leaving the hardware section to the South Korean company.
The division of opinions, according to several employees of the HoloLens team, is also related to the purpose of the device. Currently, Microsoft maintains its mixed reality viewer as a product focused on companies and workers, health care and education. Some of the team believe that the next headset should stay focused on these areas, while others believe it should be a consumer device.
Microsoft's CEO prefers to make software for the metaverse rather than launch HoloLens
Image: David Ortiz. On the other hand, Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, wants the company to focus on the development of software for the use of third-party virtual reality devices and the metaverse, as they have told Business Insider sources close to direct. Something in which Chris Capossela, director of marketing, seems to agree, who cataloged the HoloLens as a “rounding error”, as reported by the aforementioned medium.
All this, moreover, while Microsoft —like other technology companies— continues to invest in the metaverse through its services and platforms. The company announced a few months ago a future update for Teams, its video calling tool, which would allow users to apply an avatar and create virtual rooms for meetings. They also focus on developing a virtual world for video games, which could be supported by HoloLens or the future mixed reality headset.
