Top 5 Mixed Reality Spatial Mapping Solutions in Canada for 2026

Overall, if you’ve used the first-gen headset, you’ll be hard-pressed not to notice the difference here. If you haven’t, just know that this won’t feel as uncomfortably heavy on your head as other virtual reality headsets can.

That's one of the big improvements the Microsoft HoloLens 2 received, with the design being both smaller and lighter. We immediately noticed the weight difference when we put it on, and it's down to the company's new carbon fiber build.

Despite being lightweight, the Microsoft HoloLens 2 still feels premium. It's comfortable and easy to adjust, with a wheel at the back of the headset to either tighten or loosen the edges around your head.

There's padding all the way around, and we found it to sit securely on the head, too, so we weren't constantly worried it may fall off. This is a very expensive piece of kit to drop and break in your first five minutes of use.

Larger field of view

However, where the first HoloLens front-loaded all the hardware to be fitted just above the visor, the latest edition has distributed the internals more evenly across the band. The battery, for instance, is now fitted in the back.

The idea is that employees can now comfortably wear the device for multiple hours in a working day where previously there were recommended to wear the HoloLens for no more than an hour or two at a time.

With the Holo — Lens 2, employees can exploit a much wider field of view, as well as more intuitive gestures that fit around natural interactions used in day-to-day lives; think pinches, pulls and drags.

The Holo — Lens 2 features a raft of hardware improvements on the original headset. These include an array of improved sensors, namely four visible light cameras, two infrared cameras, a depth sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer.

The inclusion of a USB-C port in particular, against the Micro USB featured in the original device, is much-welcomed. The HoloLens 2's battery life is also improved from the first iteration's 2-3 hours, although exact figures are not yet available.

Intuitive eye and hand tracking

Aside from the comfort, the other notable feature of the headset is the visor, which can be flipped up in case you need to fully engage with the real world. It’s lightweight and swings up and down, easily latching into place.

The visor flips up now, like a welding helmet. It makes a big difference.

70° diagonal FOV — nearly 50% wider than HoloLens 2’s 47°, holograms are significantly more immersive and less “windowed”

Active global dimming — electronically dims the environment to increase hologram contrast in indoor settings

Lighter at 260g — significantly lighter than HoloLens 2’s 566g, reducing neck fatigue during extended sessions

The dual-processor setup is a standout feature:

Instead of packing everything into the headset, it splits the components between a lightweight headset and an external compute pack connected by a thin cable.

This split processing approach means the headset can handle complex enterprise applications without compromise.

The compute pack houses the battery—a smart design choice that keeps the headset light and reduces heat around your head.

Clear, 3D sound makes AR more realistic, and Magic Leap 2 delivers with built-in speakers and microphones. Here’s what you get in this department:

Whether for virtual meetings, hands-free training, or on-site tasks, Magic Leap 2 ensures clear communication and lifelike sound.

One of Magic Leap 2’s biggest upgrades is its expanded field of view (FOV). At 70° diagonal, it nearly doubles the original’s 50°. This results in a wider, more immersive AR experience.