The past couple of years have seen a tremendous rise in both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). This is highly evident through various flagship smartphones, who find new and creative ways to introduce both VR and AR capabilities. Aside from that, many other tech giants around have been heavily involved with VR and AR, especially the likes of HTC and Google. However, the latest to jump into the ring with its very own AR headset is the Magic Leap, who is looking to introduce a new age of AR into the world.
The Florida-based firm has introduced its very own headset known as the Magic Leap One, which creates what is called “mixed reality”. This allows real-world surroundings to blend seamlessly together with computer-generated graphics to give users a whole new experience.
So far, the most that has been done for AR is through smartphones, most notably with Samsung, Huawei, and Apple. The big three smartphone giants have equipped its flagship devices with AR capabilities, allowing you to game in an augmented world mixed with real-world surroundings. This ranges from battling evil minions in your living room to taking in the sights of your favourite city without leaving your bed.
However, the Magic Leap One is vastly different from the rest.
For starters, the Magic Leap One is a single headset all on its own while still giving the wearer clear vision of the surroundings. It also doesn’t come with any headphones, which already makes it vastly different from the usual VR headset. The headset gives off a futuristic steampunk goggles vibe, which is also significantly smaller compared to the Oculus Riftand the HTC Vive.
Only slightly heavier than sunglasses, the Magic Leap One has multiple lenses mounted on the exterior alongside cameras and light sensors. This allows the device to create an augmented world in front of your eyes without any distractions to the real world.
Unfortunately, the Magic Leap One is still limited in an almost limitless world of opportunities. Only a few demonstration programs and games have been produced but the idea Magic Leap is going for is to have early users to create their own experiences. This explains why only the Magic Leap One Creator Edition is for sale at a hefty US$2,295 for creative professionals.
Wi-Liam Teh
Senior Writer
Wi-Liam is a geek at heart with a penchant for tattoos. Never without a drink in hand (preferably whisky, gin, or Guinness), he is also a writer by day and a keyboard warrior by night. On his day off, he masquerades as a streetwear and sneakerhead enthusiast while his bank account says otherwise.
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