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E3 2015 – Augmented reality received the iPod moment it’s been waiting for at this year’s E3 with the unveiling of the Microsoft HoloLens.

• Billed as the world’s first fully untethered, see-through holographic computer
• Featured in a live demonstration using popular game Minecraft

Led by Microsoft Studios’ Saxs Persson, guests were shown how the HoloLens can use any surface as a portal into the game and how players navigate and interact using simple voice and gesture commands without the need for a controller.

As with the Oculus Rift, the technology is making its name in the world of gaming, but holds huge commercial potential, as demonstrated in DHL’s Vision Picking case study.

‘I don’t expect AR to take off in the gaming industry as much as VR,’ Peter Pashley, technical director of Games at ustwo studio, tells LS:N Global. ‘Due to the effect of telepresence – new ways of showing information in the real world – this technology holds greater application in the commercial world.’

The Big Picture: Although growing at a slower rate than VR, augmented reality holds greater worth for business in terms of enterprise mobility. Keep up to date and prepare for the revolution with our Virtual Reality Market report.