ASUS confirms augmented reality headset plans

PanARMENIAN.Net - After teasing the idea last month, ASUS has confirmed that it's planning to release an augmented reality (AR) headset sometime in 2016, Engadget reports.

"It should be next year when we come out with a product. We think AR will be very important for people's lives," said CEO Jonny Shih. Judging by ASUS's earlier comments, the device will be a version of Microsoft's HoloLens and likely come at a lower price. However, ASUS neither confirmed that it would be a HoloLens clone, nor the final price during an earnings webcast yesterday.

Microsoft has said that HoloLens would become an entire category, not just something it'll sell by itself. The technology isn't fully immersive like regular virtual reality (VR), but instead uses the glasses to insert simulated objects into the real world. The software giant has promised to release a developer version of HoloLens early next year for around $3,000, a price that's sure to weed out the not-so-serious. So far, however, Microsoft has only shown off the tech in very cool, but highly curated and possibly enhanced demos. It now appears that third-party OEMs like ASUS are buying into the hype.