REDMOND, Wash. -- Microsoft on Wednesday unveiled an unexpected new headset that allows interaction with holographic images, enabling people to play video games, build 3-D models and hold immersive videoconferences with colleagues.
With the device, HoloLens, Microsoft is entering an increasingly crowded area, with giant competitors, in the world of virtual and augmented reality.
The HoloLens could help renew some of the luster Microsoft has lost in the last decade, when it reacted late to critical new technology trends such as mobile devices, cloud computing and Internet search.
Satya Nadella, Microsoft's chief executive, went even farther, saying that the new technology heralded a big shift in the industry.
"Our industry's progress is punctuated by moments of category creation," he said. "Windows and holographic computing is one such moment."
-- The New York Times