• by Jess Nelson , June 3, 2016

Email is coming to a virtual reality near you, thanks to Microsoft’s release of the Outlook email and Calendar applications to Microsoft HoloLens on Thursday.

Microsoft’s email and calendar applications are now available for download in holographic form on Microsoft HoloLens, the company’s mixed reality headset and self-contained holographic computer.

With HoloLens, email users can now project their email inbox or schedule across an office wall or in relation to their real, physical environments. As a mixed reality product, it differs from virtual reality competing products -- such as Oculus Rift or HTC Vive -- by incorporating elements of both the real and digital worlds in an augmented reality setting.

First unveiled in tandem with the Windows 10 operating service in April 2015, Microsoft HoloLens began shipping to developers at the end of March 2016. A consumer launch was also initially planned, but was postponed in February. 

“This release is just the beginning, and we’re excited about the opportunities that HoloLens presents to build new and powerful ways of staying connected, productive and on top of your schedule,” states the Microsoft Outlook Team in a blog post announcing the news. 

The company is inviting HoloLens developers to download the free email and calendar applications from the Windows Store and provide feedback on the technology. Orders for a Development Edition of the HoloLens product are available online for Windows Insiders in the United States and Canada for $3,000.

The market for virtual reality technology is predicted to grow annually between 2016 and 2022 by 57.84%, according to Research and Markets. The research firm estimates the market to grow from $1.37 billion in 2015 to $33.90 billion by 2022.

The International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts virtual reality hardware will surpass $2 billion this year, with shipments growing from 9.6 million units in 2016 to over 110 million units in 2020.