Since Microsoft's surprising January reveal of the HoloLens, the company has been on an 11-city nationwide roadshow to recruit developers to write apps for the augmented reality platform. Now, Redmond has a HoloLens demo area for developers at its flagship Manhattan store, and I checked out the latest prototype.

The product has come a long way from the cable-strewn prototype I strapped on nearly a year ago. Units are now wireless and a heck of a lot easier to put on, but ultimately it is Microsoft's fully realized vision of a mixed reality environment that truly impresses.

Before I could enjoy HoloLens, I needed to get my Interpupillary Distance (IPD) measured, which is basically the distance between your eyes. This determines the lens separation required to create appropriately holographic images. It's no biggie; it took about 10 seconds. Then it was time to strap in.

The HoloLens looks like it could be a final product—a little more complicated than low-end VR kits like the Samsung Gear VR, but not terribly so. The lenses fit over your face like a pair of ski goggles, and two straps hold the HoloLens to your head. I kept trying to wear them like glasses on the bridge of my nose, but the proper placement is to have the lenses floating an inch or two above your nose. I can't say exactly how much the device weighs, but it isn't like wearing Google Glass. You will feel it, although it is more balanced and less obtrusive than the Oculus Rift. And yes, you can wear them over your regular glasses if you need them.

The important thing to understand with the HoloLens is that you can still see what is around you; this is an augmented, not a virtual, environment. The device creates holographic projections that are overlayed on a table, a wall, or the ceiling. You can even dock projections to your body. Feel like walking down the street with a Skype window hanging in the air? Go for it.

Microsoft showed me three new HoloLens experiences. Although I saw the HoloStudio in action earlier this year, it was only as an observer. This time, I was able to create a hologram and manipulate it in space. I created an object and walked around it, changing colors and adding details. When I was done, I had the option of exporting my design as a file or sending it directly to a 3D printer. It's relatively rudimentary, but you can see why companies like Autodesk have already signed up to use the platform.

Microsoft also showed HoloLens used as an augmented storytelling tool. Instead of creating a glossy one-sheet on a new watch, HoloLens was able to show the watch in 3D, simulate the internal gears, even replicate the ticking sound. This demo also showed how the HoloLens could be used to map out a model of the solar system that lets you stand inside the virtual model. The change in perspective is revealing. For example, I had never really noticed how dramatically off-axis Pluto's orbit is until I saw it through the HoloLens.

Finally, the coolest HoloLens demo was Project X-Ray. I don't want to take anything away from the Minecraft demo I saw this summer, but that's pretty tame in comparison. With X-Ray, the room you are in is under attack by alien robots. They attack from all sides, so you constantly have to spin around to track and shoot them. I wasn't doing too well until my guide told me I could dodge their attacks. After that, it was a game experience unlike anything I had ever tried.

It is important to note that I played X-Ray with HoloLens and a standard Xbox controller. That is because fundamentally, HoloLens is just a Windows 10 PC, albeit one you wear on your head with a room-sensing IR blaster and a holographic display built in. It is hard for people to get excited about laptops and desktops these days, but HoloLens is a Windows 10 device as well.

No one at Microsoft will say when HoloLens will be ready for consumers (a $3,000 developer version arrives next year), but the product works now. It is already being used by scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) for research on Mars explorations. Case Western Reserve University is also using it to teach anatomy to medical students.

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