Prototype Microsoft HoloLens headset spotted in NASA video

Update 10/11, 2:35 PM, Eastern Time: It seems that the HoloLens headphones seen in the NASA video are a prototype version of the original developer HoloLens, as pointed out by Road to VR's Scott Hayden. While Microsoft is working on a second-generation version of HoloLens, it's unlikely that the model shown here is that device. We have updated the owner accordingly. The original story appears below.

A prototype of Microsoft HoloLens appeared in a video of NASA this week. Seen by VentureBeat, the video from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory reveals what appears to be a newly designed handset. The headset includes a different visor on the front that seems to better support the glasses and a single adjustable band.

The Kinect sensor is not as visible on the front of the device, and in general it seems much less bulky than the existing HoloLens model that is available today. It is not clear in the video if it is Microsoft's HoloLens 2, or simply a prototype HoloLens headset that NASA is testing. NASA was one of the first Microsoft partners in HoloLens and previously tested the first prototypes of augmented reality headphones. This is likely to be simply a prototype of existing HoloLens headphones, rather than a completely new device.

Microsoft has been working on a second generation of HoloLens, whose code name is Sydney. The new headset will be powered by an ARM-based processor and will include the latest generation of the Kinect sensor and a custom AI chip to improve performance. Microsoft is aiming for a release date of HoloLens 2 for 2019. We contacted Microsoft to comment on the NASA video, but the company says it has nothing to share.