What you need to know
- Microsoft has announced Windows 11 is coming to HoloLens 2.
- The update will arrive in June, and is in testing with Windows Insiders now.
- The update doesn't include many huge changes over the current OS version.
Microsoft has today announced that it is planning to make available a new update for HoloLens 2 customers that will bring the OS up to date with the same platform release that's currently shipping on Windows 11. The update is in testing with Windows Insiders now, and will be made generally available as an optional feature update starting in June 2023.
The update isn't as major of a release as Windows 11 was for PCs, though it does include some notable additions. Developers will now be able to utilize Edge's WebView2 control for web-based app experiences. There's also a new Dynamics 365 Guides mode, which provides a useful annotation feature that lets customers draw anywhere freely during video calls. Lastly, there's a new "Restricted Mode" that will provide better control over what mixed reality apps can be accessed on a HoloLens 2 headset.
The new release will bring HoloLens 2 to OS build 22621, the same build that the latest version of Windows 11 is currently shipping on. HoloLens 2's last major OS update arrived in November 2022, and introduced a number of new policies and security updates.
Microsoft's HoloLens division has suffered blow after blow in the last several months, with head of the project Alex Kipman leaving, and reports from reputable outlets claiming that the HoloLens 3 had been canceled and that Microsoft was rudderless regarding where to go next with the project.
The company has since reaffirmed its commitment to Mixed Reality and HoloLens 2, and says a HoloLens 3 will happen when the time is right and customers are asking for it.
via The Verge
