The Aussie Microsoft Store has really cheap augmented-reality headsets up for pre-order

News
By published

HP and Acer headsets are just like HoloLens (without the $4,000 pricetag)

It’s no secret that Microsoft is hot-to-trot for augmented reality (AR), and starting today the company’s offering up two new Windows-based AR developer kits for pre-order to everyone – Acer’s Windows Mixed Reality Headset Developer Edition for $649 and HP’s Windows Mixed Reality Headset Developer Edition for $599.

But while those pre-orders are open from today, customers will still to wait until October 17 this year before they can expect their wearables to be shipped, however.

Prospective buyer’s shouldn’t be thrown off by the “Mixed Reality” or “Developer” tags either – you don’t technically need to be a developer to be able to use the wearables, and ‘mixed reality’ is essentially just Microsoft-speak for augmented reality. Both the Acer and the HP headsets are similar in form and function to Microsoft’s own HoloLens, just without the four-figure price tag.

Both new headsets headset feature 1440 x 1440 LCD displays with a 95-degree horizontal field of vision and 90Hz refresh rates.

The Acer Mixed Reality Headset was first revealed at CES 2017, and was shown off again at an event in New York in April, where we got to go hands on and give it a try. Our reviewer found it to be pleasantly light, with pleasingly-sharp resolution.

TOPICS
Sharmishta Sarkar
Sharmishta Sarkar
Managing Editor (APAC)

While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, Sharmishta's main priority is being TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor, looking after the day-to-day functioning of the Australian, New Zealand and Singapore editions of the site, steering everything from news and reviews to ecommerce content like deals and coupon codes. While she loves reviewing cameras and lenses when she can, she's also an avid reader and has become quite the expert on ereaders and E Ink writing tablets, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about these underrated devices. Other than her duties at TechRadar, she's also the Managing Editor of the Australian edition of Digital Camera World, and writes for Tom's Guide and T3.