Following promises of renewed commitment to its augmented reality headset, Microsoft has finally delivered a Windows 11 variant to Hololens in a bid to reaffirmits dedication to the platform.
In the week after Apple’s announcement of its own headset - the Vision Pro - Microsoft announced the general availability of Windows Holographic version 23H1, itself a variant of the increasingly popular Windows 11 operating system.
With the upgrade, Microsoft promises to have listened to customers, in turn boosting reliability and predictability, while also making it easier for companies to administer and manage fleets of Hololens devices.
Hololens gets a major upgrade
Months have passed since complaints first aired about the Hololens, relating not only to the buggy and poor-performing operating system, but also the ergonomics and design of the headset itself. While a new device is a long way off yet, the upgrade to Windows 11 provides at least some reassurance that the company remains committed to AR.
Hololens is primarily aimed at businesses, thus enterprise customers are catered for the most. The upgrades include a range of tweaks to the way apps are updated, and how the device is reset.
Microsoft Edge WebView2 control has also become available in public preview format, which allows businesses to embed web technologies like HTML and CSS into their native apps.
The company has also added a feature to automatically delete users who accessed the device least recently to help companies manage the 64-user limit more smoothly. The announcement details: “Removing the inactive accounts speeds up the sign-in process and improves privacy and security by reducing retention of unused data.”
Microsoft employee and announcement author, Lola Bryan, said: “With this new upgrade, we reinforce our commitment to the platform by upgrading to Windows 11. By making this investment, we have optimized our engineering infrastructure and increased engineering velocity.”
Upgrades to 23H1 can be performed from Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, and admins can also manage fleets from Windows Update for Business (WUfB) and MDM policy. Devices should be running 21H1 at minimum in order to receive the upgrade, and Bryan also stressed that the upgrade is not mandatory, thus admins can disable the option to upgrade until they are ready to welcome the Windows 11-powered OS.
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