Microsoft has confirmed it’s discontinuing its HoloLens line of mixed reality headsets, with production now ceased and software support on HoloLens 2 ending in December 2027.

HoloLens launched in its original form back in 2016, offering a $3,000 USD mixed reality experience that built on at least some of the technology featured in Microsoft’s Kinect accessory for Xbox. It’s perhaps best remembered in gaming circles for the striking (albeit never ultimately released) Minecraft demo shown ahead of its launch in 2015.

Microsoft’s first HoloLens was surpassed by the $3,500 HoloLens 2 in 2019, and while the line-up never saw a consumer device, it did make inroads in enterprise usage, including healthcare, manufacturing, and education. Microsoft also signed a $479m contract to provide 100,000 HoloLens devices to the US military in 2018, a deal that didn’t go down well with employees.

Playing Minecraft with the Microsoft HoloLens – E3 2015 Demo