Microsoft finally shows the HoloLens' real field of view

Microsoft’s HoloLens is often touted as a revolutionary product and in this latest video, Microsoft shows how teaching institutions can use the HoloLens and change entire professions.

The HoloLens, ever since it was originally unveiled, holds a lot of potential. Not only could it be a transformative peripheral for the entertainment and gaming industry, as highlighted by Microsoft at E3, but it could also be used in countless other applications.

One of these, which seems to be a perfect fit, is the education sector. As you can see in the video above, Microsoft has partnered with Case Western Reserve University, where it’s already trying out the HoloLens for educational purposes. Students can use the device to holographically visualize things they couldn’t normally see in real life: the inside of a beating heart for example or a virtual recreation of an ancient monument.

Applications such as these could prove the viability of the HoloLens on the market, not to mention offering Microsoft a new and important revenue stream.

But this video is interesting from another point of view as well, or should we say, another field of view. For the first time the company has started showing publicly what the HoloLens’ much maligned field of view actually is. You may remember that in our original hands-on with the device we were blown away by how immersive the experience was. We were subsequently very disappointed to find out that the final hardware would have a much more restricted field of view, taking away the experience’s immersive quality.

Now, thanks to this video, all users can actually get to see the new field of view. It’s likely that as we’re moving closer to the HoloLens’ release, and as hardware is being finalized, Microsoft is looking to adjust the public’s expectations.

Still, given the way Microsoft is positioning the HoloLens its limited FOV may not be a deal breaker depending on the device’s price tag. But we’ll learn more about all of the company’s plans in the months to come.

Source: Microsoft (YouTube)