After a six-year wait, Magic Leap has finally released their highly anticipated headset. With almost $2 billion in funding, one of the country’s most secretive startups has been developing a mixed reality headset that is considered to be a cut above the field by those who have experienced it.
What is it? The device, called the Magic Leap One Creator Edition, includes three pieces of hardware: Lightwear – the goggle-like headset, Lightpack – a hockey puck-sized external computer worn on your belt that is tethered to the Lightwear, and a handheld controller to navigate menus.
Mixed reality is a hybrid of augmented and virtual reality. Rather than simply overlaying information in your field of view like AR, MR allows the user to fully interact with virtual objects. Mixed reality use cases span from immersive gaming and storytelling, to web browsing, more interactive meetings, multipurpose workstations, and data visualization.
What we know. Based on the information available, the device is more or less in line with our expectations. The actual headset, despite still looking like a steampunk Star Trek accessory, is more sleek and deliberately designed than we imagined. The Lightpack, however, seems more cumbersome than what we hoped for. The Creator Edition will ship only to developers sometime in 2018. Rolling Stone was invited for a demo of the product and wrote an in-depth piece here.
What we don’t know. With mixed reality, the user experience is the critical factor. While Magic Leap’s website suggests the experience will be both revolutionary and visually incredible, it’s impossible to know without the trying the Magic Leap One. Bottom line, we have to reserve judgement until we try it for ourselves.
Disclaimer: We actively write about the themes in which we invest: artificial intelligence, robotics, virtual reality, and augmented reality. From time to time, we will write about companies that are in our portfolio. Content on this site including opinions on specific themes in technology, market estimates, and estimates and commentary regarding publicly traded or private companies is not intended for use in making investment decisions. We hold no obligation to update any of our projections. We express no warranties about any estimates or opinions we make.