Microsoft Talks What HoloLens Can Do That VR Can't

Microsoft's Kinect visionary Kudo Tsunoda has nothing against traditional virtual reality devices like Oculus Rift or PlayStation's Project Morpheus, but he says in a new interview that augmented reality technology like HoloLens has the potential to do more.

"The thing that HoloLens does is allow you to blend your digital world with your real world," Tsunoda said in the latest issue of Game Informer. "Bringing of those two things together unlocks all kinds of different experiences."

The various demonstrations Microsoft showed at the HoloLens announcement event in January illustrate the power of augmented reality relative to virtual reality.

"None of that stuff is things you could do with VR," Tsunoda explained. "It's nothing against VR; I think VR is great tech. But it's the 'blending of the worlds' part about HoloLens that makes it unique. From a gameplay perspective, it's being able to make your real world environment an integral part of the experience. That's really different than what you would get from a VR experience."

Tsunoda went on to say that he sees HoloLens as having the potential to be a game-changer when it comes to teaching and collaboration. Being able to draw holograms into the world of someone wearing a HoloLens headset is a "compelling thing for being able to teach people skills, and allowing them to collaborate in ways they couldn't do before," he said.

You can read the full interview with Tsunoda in the May issue of Game Informer, which is available now.

Although Tsunoda and Microsoft are clearly enthusiastic about HoloLens, the company has not ruled out doing traditional virtual reality some day, too.

In terms of gaming, outside of a Minecraft tech demo, Microsoft hasn't announced any games for HoloLens. However, this is an area the company is definitely looking at. For a closer look at HoloLens, check out GameSpot's image gallery.

Tsunoda was recently promoted to a new role where he'll oversee Microsoft's UK studios, including Rare and Lionhead.