Developers and enterprises will soon get a crack at augmented reality as Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said samples of the Microsoft HoloLens development kit will begin shipping by next year.
In an interview, Nadella told the BBC program "Click" that the first version of HoloLens will roll out "within the next year."
That said, don't expect the consumer version of the augmented reality (AR) headset any time soon as the Microsoft boss also said the device is on a "five-year journey."
Although it has been seen in various on-stage demos, DigitalTrends said HoloLens is "still very much a work in progress."
According to the website, the tech giant's engineers "will want to improve the look and feel of the device" before examples of the Microsoft HoloLens development kit begin shipping. The device's current version is allegedly "bulky, inefficient and not all that comfortable to wear."
Last month, Nadella said the first version of HoloLens will be "more about developers and enterprise scenarios" as reported by Franchise Herald. As for gaming and entertainment, he said both will a long-term goal.
Gaming could be on the horizon for the AR headset. Being part of the "Universal Windows Platform," VR Focus reported that the Xbox Live API will be available to the device - including multiplayer gameplay.
Jaime Rodriguez, Games Evangelist at Microsoft made the revelation at the GDC Europe session "One Game Across PC, Phone, Xbox and HoloLens," according to the website.
"The possibility of being able to play online multiplayer with anyone across the globe in through the holographic display of the HoloLens will interest gamers everywhere, but while this is now a possibility [it's] not going to happen any time soon."
Apart from providing a launch window for the Microsoft HoloLens development kit, the Redmond,Wash.-based company has yet to reveal other details on the augmented reality device.
