An exploded view of Microsoft's HoloLens holographic computer headset.
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A look inside Microsoft’s HoloLens holographic headset

  • Posted byby Dean Takahashi
  • Updated
  • 4 min

Nick Baker doesn’t get out much. The distinguished engineer at Microsoft helped create the hardware and silicon brains behind Web TV, Ultimate TV, the Xbox 360, and the Xbox One. But he got out Monday to describe the inner hardware of Microsoft’s newest toy, the HoloLens holographic computer headset — one of the most sophisticated new tech products.

Speaking at the Hot Chips semiconductor conference in Cupertino, California, Baker said that HoloLens is the spearhead for Microsoft’s vision for mixed reality, which combines virtual and physical worlds via a rich set of sensors into a digital experience. Such augmented reality experiences could generate a $120 billion business by 2020, according to tech adviser Digi-Capital.

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Written by

Dean Takahashi

Dean Takahashi is editorial director for GamesBeat. He has been a tech journalist since 1988, and he has covered games as a beat since 1996. He was lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat from 2008 to April 2025. Prior to that, he wrote for the San Jose Mercury News, the Red Herring, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and the Dallas Times-Herald. He is the author of two books, "Opening the Xbox" and "The Xbox 360 Uncloaked." He organizes the annual GamesBeat Next, GamesBeat Summit and GamesBeat Insider Series: Hollywood and Games conferences and is a frequent speaker at gaming and tech events. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.