The Magic Leap is one of the worlds most hyped devices and with good reason.
When the headset was first publicly announced around four years ago (four years!
), it was the first time many people had seen augmented and mixed reality.
Since then, things have changed.
Most modern phones are now AR-enabled and apps like Pokemon GO are, well, kinda normal.
Magic Leap is entering a substantially different market from when it was announced.
And should we be excited?
Well, yes and no.
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We tried out the Creators Edition of the Magic Leap One atSamhoud Mediasoffices in Amsterdam.
It was probably the best immersive reality headset Ive ever used.
Construction-wise, it was solid, well-made, and comfortable.
Nice so what did you do with it?
There arent many Magic Leap experiences out there which makes sense because the Creators Edition is meant for developers.
Still, the experiences I tried had me completely hooked.
The Create app in particular was a lot of fun.
Sounds brilliant, were there any negatives?
Look, I dont want to be too harsh on the Magic Leap.
Its an incredibly complex bit of technology and, honestly, its a marvel it exists at all.
Still, after using it, theres no chance in hell the Magic Leap One will be popular.
While the controls and hardware feel polished, the software is a different issue.
Certain surfaces arent recognised.
The field-of-view is short, so things you should be able to see end up disappearing.
It feels experimental, not a polished bit of kit.
In my mind, the biggest issue is long-term use.
Let alone anything that would make me actually buy the machine itself.
Otherwise, without any kickass experiences, it might be a long few years for the company.
Troubling…
Theres no argument that the technology behind the Magic Leap is terrific.
This change isnt just going to happen though, itll take time.
Unfortunately, as much as I liked the technology, I didnt see that killer feature anywhere.
I can imagine therell be countless uses.
