Lenovo's Mixed Reality Headset Reportedly Arriving in August for $399

In the nascent AR/VR race, any release news is big news. For augmented reality, those invested in the new technology eagerly await the release of Microsoft's Hololens and any inkling of information that comes with it. If you're one of those folks, you're in luck, as new information has just been disclosed about one of Microsoft's partners on the project, Lenovo, and their Hololens; including its release date and price.

Ross McDougall, a member of the Lenovo Insider Program, tweeted Monday about Lenovo's dive into AR and VR, citing specific specs and dates. According to McDougall, Lenovo's Headset will be released August 2017 and retail for $399. He tweeted the headset would feature 1440 x 1440 resolution, weigh 380g (roughly 0.84 lbs), and feature 6 degrees of inside-out tracking. The latter item allowing the user to move their head in 3D space, replicating a real-world experience.

If this price point is accurate, Lenovo will be one of the more expensive mixed reality brands on launch. Acer's headset, for example, is expected to released for $299, $100 less than the speculative Lenovo price.

A second tweet from McDougall listed more features. These included dual VGA cameras, a content library featuring 20,000 Windows 10 2D applications, select hololens apps, and the Lenovo Entertainment Hub. McDougall claims the minimum PC specs will be Intel i5 & HD620 (RS3).

The Lenovo Insider member offered no evidence to his claims, and Lenovo declined to comment when pressed by UploadVR about the information in his tweets. As this article went to press, both Lenovo and McDougall have not responded to Next Reality's request for comment.

What's interesting to consider is that while the Hololens runs on Windows 10, you won't be tied to using a PC to experience all the headset has to offer. Microsoft plans to make Hololens compatible with both the Xbox One and the next Xbox, code-named "Project Scorpio." This means that headsets like Lenovo's will work with both computers and consoles, which should give consumers plenty of choices on how they want to experience mixed reality.

Cover image via The Verge/YouTube