Closing by March of AltSpaceVR has laid the groundwork for a number of speculations about the future of HoloLens in Microsoft. In fact, between now and the end of March the company will perform well 10,000 layoffs which unfortunately will affect more than one internal team, reducing the multinational’s workforce by 5%.
For many, this coincidence between closure and layoffs has set the stage for some questions about the future of HoloLens: does Microsoft really intend to give up its metaverso?
Has Microsoft Fired the HoloLens Team?
Despite an initial interest from Microsoft in virtual reality that resulted in the purchase of AltSpaceVR back in 2017, many believed that the very recent staff cut had also involved the team working on HoloLens, Virtual and Mixed Reality.
The idea was born from the official news relating to the closure scheduled for March of AltSpaceVR, leading to believe that Microsoft was no longer willing to invest in its own metaverse. In reality, things are not quite like that.
The project linked to HoloLens and virtual reality is more complex than we might think and not only due to a collaboration between the multinational and the US military. In fact, it is true that the closure of AltSpaceVR will coincide with the layoffs, but, unlike what was believed until a few hours ago, it will simply be replaced by Microsoft Mesh.
On the other hand, the reduction in personnel followed a completely different path: as also explained by the CEO Nadella, Microsoft in this precise historical period is more interested in hiring new employees in key sectors such as that relating to the metaverse and artificial intelligences.
This decision was made above all in the face of a not exactly rosy 2022 and the new objectives to be achieved within the next two years which, according to Nadella’s forecasts, will be quite tough. As a result, Microsoft has decided to streamline currently unhelpful teams.
Reflecting with a cool head, the news that the multinational wanted the multinational to lose interest in the metaverse aspect seemed at least far-fetched. In fact, the expansion of virtual reality is there for all to see, therefore giving up a similar project and the HoloLens would have meant leaving the field free for two equally strong competitors: Metagodmother of the metaverse as we know it, and Appleabout to launch its first VR headset.
The denial
The denial about the stop of the HoloLens has arrived on Twitter via Alex Kipman. The Brazilian engineer, in fact, replied to a user’s tweet in a fairly precise and piquant way:
don’t believe what you read on the internet. #HoloLens is doing great and if you search said internet they also said we had cancelled #HoloLens2… which last I checked we shipped with success[)-)[)-)
— Alex Kipman (@akipman) February 3, 2022
As we can read Kipman has explicitly advised not to believe everything that is published on the internet, also adding that the project on the HoloLens is currently operational.
In short, the closure of AltSpaceVR made users fear the worst for a moment. In reality, the metaverse is more present than ever in Microsoft’s projects. Indeed, with the replacement of AltSpaceVR with Mesh, the multinational’s virtual reality will take over a business footprintaddressing all those companies interested in working in and with the metaverse.
“We look forward to what’s to come, including the launch of Microsoft Mesh, a new platform for connection and collaboration, starting with enabling workplaces around the world,” Microsoft said.
“We are focusing our VR efforts on professional experiences, learning more and more from the use of our early customers and partners, and ensuring we provide a platform that enables security, trust and compliance.”
Among other things, we must not forget that already in February 2022 some rumors wanted Microsoft about to give up the HoloLens 3 and even on that occasion there was no lack of a denial by the company.
As for the layoffs, however, the latter will involve other teams, including the teams involved in Halo and Starfield.