[14] The front of the unit houses many of the sensors and related hardware, including the processors, cameras and projection lenses.

[17][18] Along the bottom edges of the side, located near the user's ears, are a pair of small, red 3D audio speakers.

[22] The HoloLens features an inertial measurement unit (IMU) (which includes an accelerometer, gyroscope and a magnetometer),[20] four "environment understanding" sensors (two on each side), an energy-efficient depth camera with a 120°×120° angle of view,[23] a 2.4-megapixel photographic video camera, a four-microphone array and an ambient light sensor.

[27] In an interview at the 2015 Electronic Entertainment Expo in June, Microsoft Vice-President of Next-Gen Experiences, Kudo Tsunoda, indicated that the field of view is unlikely to be significantly different on release of the current version.

[28] The HoloLens contains an internal rechargeable battery, with average life rated at 2–3 hours of active use, or 2 weeks of standby time.

[5] HoloLens features IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1 Low Energy (LE) wireless connectivity.

The headset uses Bluetooth LE to pair with the included Clicker, a thumb-sized finger-operating input device that can be used for interface scrolling and selecting.

The Clicker features a clickable surface for selecting and an orientation sensor, which provides for scrolling functions via tilting and panning of the unit.

The Clicker features an elastic finger loop for holding the device and a USB 2.0 micro-B receptacle for charging its internal battery.

[70] "Elements"—or any virtual application or button—are selected using an air tap method, similar to clicking an imaginary computer mouse.

A "bloom" gesture for accessing the shell (performing a similar function to pressing a Windows key on a Windows keyboard, tablet or the Xbox button on an Xbox One Controller) is performed by opening one's hand, fingers spread with the palm facing up.

The app allows developers to run apps on the HoloLens, use cell phone or computer keyboards for text input, view streamed video from the HoloLens on an external device and remotely capture mixed reality photos and videos.

[77] The MR goggles are intended to provide "increased lethality, mobility and situational awareness necessary to achieve overmatch against [...] current and future adversaries."