Microsoft · 2019 · AR — spatial

HoloLens 2

The spatial AR benchmark — withdrawn, with support ending in 2027.

Discontinued in 2024

{{name}} — specification and verdict

HoloLens 2 defined what enterprise spatial AR looks like: a standalone see-through headset that anchors holograms in the room, with hand and eye tracking and impact-rated protective lenses. It is also the device that shows how a platform ends — Microsoft stopped manufacturing it in December 2024 and its hardware page publishes no display field of view, so that figure is absent here rather than quoted from a review.

Applications are built against Microsoft's own stack and deployed through the Store or through device management — no Android package, so an existing Android training application would need a full port rather than a rebuild.

If your organisation already owns a fleet, keep using it until support ends: Microsoft has committed to security updates only through December 2027. Do not start a new deployment on it — you would be buying second-hand hardware with under two years of security life and no successor.

Full specification

Overview

ManufacturerWho makes it — and who you buy support from.: Microsoft
CategoryWhich kind of product this is. It decides which rows below make sense at all.: AR — spatial
Device typeWhere the computing happens, and therefore what you need to run it.: Standalone AR
ReleasedYear the model went on sale. Older is not automatically worse in this category.: 2019
AvailabilityWhether you can still order it new today.: Discontinued in 2024
Support endsThe date the manufacturer stops supporting it. Decisive for a fleet you are about to buy.: 2027-12-31

Company rollout

Third-party appsHow a third party's application reaches the device: an ordinary Android package, a vendor-only SDK, or not at all.: Vendor SDK only
Runs Skillsive appsOur own statement about whether Skillsive training applications run on it today.: No
Suitable for trainingOur judgement on whether it survives real deployment: comfort, hygiene, fleet management.: Suitable for training: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-04.
Kiosk mode / MDMVendor tooling to enrol devices, push an app and lock the headset to it. Practically required above ten devices.: Yes
Business tierAn official business tier, so devices belong to the company rather than to employees’ personal accounts.: Business tier: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-04.
CertificationsIndustrial certifications stated on the manufacturer's own page. Empty means unconfirmed, never "probably fine".: ANSI Z87.1 · CSA Z94.3 · EN 166

Platform and performance

Where it computesWhether the device computes on its own or depends on a phone, PC or belt-worn puck.: Standalone (own computer)
ProcessorThe processor and memory inside. This is what the performance grade above is derived from.: Processor: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-04.
MemoryRAM on the device. Together with the chipset it sets how complex a scene can be.: Memory: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-04.
PlatformThe platform an application is built against — and what an MDM has to speak.: Windows Holographic
BatteryRuntime as the manufacturer states it. A hot-swappable pack matters more than the figure.: Battery: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-04.

Display and optics

DisplayHow the image is produced. "No display" is a real answer in this category, not a gap.: Waveguide
Eyes coveredOne eye or both. Over a full shift this is a real difference in fatigue.: Both eyes
Resolution per eyePixels delivered to each eye. Higher means small text and labels stay readable.: Resolution per eye: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-04.
Refresh rateImages per second. Higher feels smoother and helps people prone to motion discomfort.: Refresh rate: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-04.
Field of viewHow much of your view the image covers. Bigger is more immersive, not automatically better for work.: Field of view: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-04.
Pixel densityPixels per degree of view — the honest way to compare sharpness between a headset and a pair of glasses. Higher is sharper. Only shown where somebody published it; we never compute it ourselves.: Pixel density: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-04.
BrightnessIn a plant or outdoors, brightness decides legibility more than resolution does.: Brightness: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-04.
WeightThe device alone. Anything above roughly 150 g is felt within an hour.: 566 g

Tracking and input

TrackingWhether content stays put in the room (6DoF), follows head rotation (3DoF) or is simply fixed.: 6DoF (position in space)
Hand trackingWhether bare hands can operate the interface, without a controller or the phone.: Yes

Connectivity and audio

ConnectivityHow it connects to a phone, a PC or a network.: Connectivity: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-04.
AudioBuilt-in sound. Matters most where somebody has to hear a remote expert while working.: Audio: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-04.
MicrophoneBuilt-in microphone — the other half of talking to a remote expert.: Microphone: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-04.
CameraA camera is what makes a remote expert call and photo documentation possible.: Yes

Price

Price bandThe band it sits in, rather than a price that goes stale.: Enterprise
Launch priceThe manufacturer's launch price. Fixed history, so it never goes stale.: $3500
Price todayApproximate current net price in USD — a general figure, since these barely differ between regions once tax is stripped out. A snapshot from the date shown, not an offer.: Price today: Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-04.

Compare this device

Specifications checked against the manufacturer's page on 2026-08-04. Manufacturer's specification

Product and company names used here are the trademarks of their respective owners and appear only to identify the hardware being compared. We are not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any of these manufacturers. Illustrations are our own.