Magic Leap 2 AR Headset Arrives Sept. 30, Starting at $3,299
The business-focused augmented-reality device will have an eyebrow-raising price tag.
- Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
The Magic Leap 2 is arriving in a few months' time.
Magic Leap's next AR headset is coming this fall, and it's not cheap. The self-contained Magic Leap 2 glasses, which CNET tried earlier this year, will cost at least $3,299, and be available Sept. 30.
Unlike the first Magic Leap headset, which launched back in 2018 and aspired to be for creative consumers, the Magic Leap 2 is entirely business-focused. The smaller glasses have their own dedicated AMD hip-worn processor puck. They offer a wider field of view than any other AR headset we've tried recently, and a unique feature that dims parts of the real world to make virtual objects seem less ghostly.
The headset will come in three variations: the $3,299 Magic Leap 2 Base is the hardware plus a one-year warranty; while the Magic Leap 2 Developer Pro comes with extra developer-focused software and sample projects for $4,099. A Magic Leap 2 Enterprise version, with two-year support for enterprise-ready software, costs $4,999. Magic Leap's website will indicate where headsets will be available to buy: in the US, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Saudi Arabia on Sept. 30, and Japan and Singapore by the end of the year.
Magic Leap CEO Peggy Johnson told CNET earlier this year that the company's largely focused on three industries for its new headset: "health care, defense and public sector, and manufacturing and industrial settings," as well as possible partnerships with location-based art and entertainment.
There aren't many high-powered AR headsets on the market right now besides Microsoft's HoloLens 2, so it's possible that the Magic Leap 2 ends up deploying as a product to test out areas where future lower-cost consumer smart glasses aim to evolve next.