According to a recent report, Microsoft has patented two gaming-related helmets.
Yeah, helmets. Like The Lawnmower Man or something. Apparently there are two version, a helmet to be used for Xbox, and a pair of glasses to be used for smartphones. Both are pictured in sketches above. Patent Bolt says Microsoft has been working on the helmets since 2010.
The glasses will be partially transparent, offering 3D support as well as letting people see real world objects. Ideally, this will lead to some proper applications of Augmented Reality gaming, such as allowing you to have a hud show in your glasses instead of taking up space on the screen. That's kind of a lame example compared to what creative people could come up with, so here's hoping for some great stuff down the line.
The lenses also allow you to play with the brightness and focus, allowing a user to see "virtual display images an infinite distance away."
If I'm being honest, I don't even know what that means. There's no word yet whether Microsoft has begun building prototypes, or what they will be used for, but it'll likely be big news if they ever decide.