Compare Microsoft HoloLens 2 vs its closest rivals
The 5 closest rivals to the Microsoft HoloLens 2, side by side — the same picks you'll find on its product page, the nearest matches on price, specs, and what they're for. Every verdict link opens a full head-to-head comparison.
Full Microsoft HoloLens 2 specs & review Build your own comparison
Microsoft HoloLens 2 vs its closest rivals — full spec matrix
The makers' published specs, side by side. The rivals here are the closest matches on price, specs, and what they're for.
| Specification | This model Microsoft HoloLens 2 Contact manufacturer | Close rival Magic Leap 2 Contact manufacturer | Step-down pick RayNeo X3 Pro $1,299 | Step-down pick TCL RayNeo X2 $499 | Similar specs Snap Spectacles Gen 5 | Similar specs Snap Specs (Consumer Edition) $2,195 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | ||||||
| Display type | See-through holographic waveguide lenses, 2k 3:2 light engines (laser-scanned MEMS) | Diffractive waveguide with dynamic dimming, binocular see-through | Dual Micro-LED projectors, full color (16.77M colors) | Micro-LED waveguide | Micro-LED waveguide | proprietary LCoS light engines into see-through waveguides, binocular full color (16M colors) |
| Resolution | 2048x1080 | 1440x1760 | 640x480 | 640x480 | — | — |
| Pixels per degree | 47 | — | — | — | 37 | — |
| Field of view (°) | 52 | 70 | 30 | 25 | 46 | 51 |
| Refresh rate (Hz) | 120 | 120 | 60 | — | — | — |
| Brightness (nits) | — | 2000 | 3500 | 1000 | — | — |
| Virtual screen size (in) | — | — | 43 | — | 100 | — |
| HDR support | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Color support | Full color | Full color | Full color | Full color | Full color | Full color |
| Optics | ||||||
| Optics type | waveguide | waveguide | waveguide | waveguide | waveguide | waveguide |
| Dimming control | ✕ No | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | — | — | ✓ Yes |
| Transparency level | see-through AR overlay | dynamic dimming (0-100%) | see-through AR overlay | see-through AR overlay | see-through AR overlay | see-through |
| Prescription support | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Diopter range | Fits over eyeglasses | Prescription inserts available | Prescription lens inserts via Lensology (from £95; sample lens in box) | Rx sample lenses in box for optician fitting; inserts via Lensology (sold out — support may change on restock) | Optical inserts via Lensabl (NA) / Lensology (EU); total power +1.00 to -5.00 (SPH+CYL combined) | yes, prescription insert support |
| Physical | ||||||
| Weight (g) | 566 | 260 | 76 | 119 | 226 | 132 |
| Frame style | headband visor | visor with headband | titanium | round | wraparound | glasses |
| Color options | Black | Black | Black | Black | Matte Black | — |
| Foldable | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
| IP rating | — | — | IP52 | — | — | — |
| Battery & power | ||||||
| Battery life (hours) | 2.5 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 2 | 0.75 | 4 |
| Charging method | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | Magnetic charging | USB-C charging case | — |
| Charging time (min) | — | — | 0.75 | — | 1.5 | — |
| Connectivity | ||||||
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi 5, WiFi 6, USB-C | Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi 6, WiFi 6E, USB-C | Bluetooth 5.3, WiFi 6, USB-C | Bluetooth 5.2, WiFi 5, USB-C | Bluetooth 5.2, WiFi 6, USB-C | Bluetooth, WiFi |
| Tethered | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Compatible devices | Standalone, Windows | Standalone | iOS, Android | Standalone | iOS, Android | iOS, Android |
| Computing | ||||||
| Processing type | on-device | on-device | on-device | on-device | on-device | on-device |
| Operating system | Windows Holographic OS (Windows 10-based; final feature release 24H1, Nov 2024) | Android AOSP-based (ML OS); OpenXR, Unity, Unreal support | RayNeo AIOS with Google Gemini 2.5 AI | Android | Snap OS | Snap OS (Android-based); Lens Studio ecosystem with Claude Code/Codex/Cursor agentic dev tools and new Native Development Kit |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 + 2nd-gen custom Holographic Processing Unit (HPU), 4GB LPDDR4x, 64GB UFS 2.1 (untethered) | Tethered Compute Pack (425 g): AMD quad-core Zen 2 x86, 16GB RAM, 256GB storage | Qualcomm Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1, 4GB RAM, 32GB storage | Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 | Qualcomm Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1 | dual Qualcomm Snapdragon processors (one dedicated to computer vision, one for Lenses) |
| Sensors & input | ||||||
| Camera | 8MP (5×) | 12.6MP (9×) | 12MP (2×) | 16MP | 12MP (2×) | ✓ Yes (2×) |
| Microphones | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Speakers | directional · spatial audio | directional · spatial audio | open-ear | open-ear | open-ear · spatial audio | open-ear · spatial audio |
| Tracking | 6DoF, head, eye, hand, SLAM | 6DoF, head, eye, hand, SLAM | 6DoF, head, SLAM | 6DoF, head, SLAM | 6DoF, hand, head | 6DoF, hand, head |
| Gesture control | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Voice control | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| AI assistant | Cortana | — | Google Gemini | — | — | — |
Head-to-head verdicts
Each rival has a dedicated comparison page with a spec-grounded verdict, FAQs, and buy context.
Street-price checks
Latest recorded street price per model from our weekly archive — observed figures, not list prices. Untracked models show nothing.
- RayNeo X3 Pro: $1,299 checked October 5, 2026
- TCL RayNeo X2: $499 checked October 5, 2026
What reviewers say
Quoted verbatim from external outlets — what they said, not a score.
TCL RayNeo X2
“it does make me check my phone less, and it's a big first step”
Snap Spectacles Gen 5
“stood up to the L.A. sun”
“felt surprisingly intuitive”
Microsoft HoloLens 2 compare: FAQs
What are the closest rivals to Microsoft HoloLens 2?
Magic Leap 2, RayNeo X3 Pro, TCL RayNeo X2, Snap Spectacles Gen 5, and Snap Specs — the closest matches to Microsoft HoloLens 2 on price, specs, and what they're for.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Microsoft HoloLens 2?
Microsoft HoloLens 2 has no published retail price right now; among its closest rivals, TCL RayNeo X2 is the cheapest at $499.
Where can I read a full verdict on Microsoft HoloLens 2 against one specific rival?
Each rival on this page links to a dedicated head-to-head comparison — for example Microsoft HoloLens 2 vs Magic Leap 2 — with a spec-grounded verdict and FAQs.
Microsoft HoloLens 2 vs Magic Leap 2: which should I buy?
Bottom line: the Magic Leap 2 is the better buy for most people.
Microsoft HoloLens 2 vs RayNeo X3 Pro: which should I buy?
Bottom line: the Microsoft HoloLens 2 is the better buy for most people, unless you need the lighter fit.
Microsoft HoloLens 2 vs TCL RayNeo X2: which should I buy?
Bottom line: the Microsoft HoloLens 2 is the better buy for most people, unless you need the lighter fit.