Microsoft’s latest Windows 10 Devices presentation did not reveal much about the gaming and things on Xbox apart from the usual games releasing during the holiday season, bundles and the new dashboard. But, what caught everyone’s eye at the presentation was the demo of HoloLens and a little game called Project X-Ray.
To everyone who does not know what HoloLens is, it is a pair of see-through HD holographic lenses, and is the world’s first holographic processing unit that runs fully untethered with no wires, phones, or PC connection required.
Microsoft is aiming to bring digital experiences into our real world. Part of that goal is to bring what the company is calling mixed reality entertainment. Previously, the company had a demonstrated a Minecraft demo on a table which was amazing considering you could play the pixel land live on your table. With Project X-Ray, one has to shoot aliens which are entering through walls. Project X-Ray has been developed internally at Microsoft, and HoloLens employees have been playing it at home with their families.
Microsoft with Project X-Ray, turned a house into a playable level. And each house is unique and so is each room. Thus, making each game a customized game specially for you. Start the game on HoloLens, and fire with a wearable holographic gauntlet which has to be used to shoot holes in the wall, shoot at robots and drones that burst through said walls, and even dodge enemy shots. And the cool thing about all of this is that you can also equip yourself with a holographic shield to deflect enemy shots. Holograms can also interact with the environment and each other.
Microsoft has priced the HoloLens Development Kit for $3000 and is now accepting applications for it and the product will be available in Q1 of 2016. Priced so high, it is to be seen how do developers see HoloLens as the gaming platform when VR is the next thing that everyone is focusing on.
