Microsoft is opening up HoloLens for pre-order to Australian developers and commercial customers.
The augmented reality headsets will begin shipping in November are priced at $4369 for the development edition and $7269 for the commercial suite edition.
The device displays holographic images on a pair of translucent lenses and allows users to interact with those holograms in the real world. HoloLens developer kits went on sale in the US in March and companies like NASA, Airbus and Audi have already found commercial applications for the technology.
While vendors like Facebook, Samsung, HTC and Sony have chosen to develop virtual reality headsets, Microsoft made the choice to work on an augmented reality device instead. In January 2015, Microsoft revealed HoloLens for the first time, calling the device a holographic PC running Windows 10, rather than an accessory.
Datacom claimed to be the first developer to open a mixed and augmented reality practice based on HoloLens in the region. Last month, the trans-Tasman solutions giant built a demo that showed how HoloLens could be used by car dealerships to exhibit a holographic car.
The other most notable augmented reality hardware vendor was Google, which revealed its Glass headset all the way back in 2012.
Google Glass has since faded into obscurity, with consumer sales ceasing in 2015 and all social media accounts related to the device going dark. To further dampen the chances of Google Glass coming back, the company recently revealed its own budget virtual reality headset called Daydream View priced at US$79.
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