Holographic data storage promises very high storage capacities and data rates by recording data as holograms using the interference pattern between an object beam containing the data and a reference beam. However, several challenges have prevented holographic storage from being commercially viable, including the lack of a suitable low-cost storage medium and the complexity of engineering a system that can precisely control all components including laser beams and photodetectors to write and read data holograms. While research continues, holographic storage has yet to offer affordable consumer products due to these technical hurdles.