Magic Leap 1 vs Magic Leap 2: The Key Differences

Magic Leap 1 vs Magic Leap 2: The Key Differences

mark
By mark
Published: 26-08-2022
Updated: 15-03-2023

In this article we go over the differences between Magic Leap 1 vs Magic Leap 2 AR headsets: seeing how the new focus on enterprises shines through with their upcoming AR headset.

In this article, you will learn:

  • Specifications comparison
  • Processing
  • Visual experience
  • Design and comfort
  • Eye Tracking
  • Audio
  • Price of the Magic Leap 2
  • Alternatives to the Magic Leap 2

Specifications comparison

Magic Leap 1 Magic Leap 2
Release Date August 8, 2018 September 30, 2022
Price $2,295 with controllers $3,299 with controllers, Base version

$4,099 Developer Pro version

$4,999 Enterprise version

Optics Technology Waveguide Waveguide
Video Passthrough 1080p camera, 30fps 12.6MP, 60fps RGB camera
Display Engine Photonic lightfield chip 2 x Liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS), binocular
Resolution 1280×960 per-eye 1440×1760 per-eye
Dynamic Dimming No Yes
Refresh Rate 122 Hz 122Hz
Field of View 50° diagonal 70° diagonal
Weight 316 grams 260 grams
Tracking 6 DoF Inside-out 6 DoF Inside-out
Eye Tracking Yes (1 camera per eye) Yes (two cameras per eye)
Hand Tracking Yes Yes
Positional, 3D Audio No Yes
Connectivity WiFi 5 & Bluetooth 4.2 WiFi 6 & Bluetooth 5.1
Processing Separate, add-on (pug): NVIDIA Tegra X2 “Parker” System-on-Chip Separate, add-on (pug): AMD Quad-core Zen2
Graphical Processing NVIDIA Pascal AMD GFX10.2
RAM 8 GB 16 GB
Storage 128 GB (No expandable storage) 256 GB
Battery Life 3 hours 3.5 hours (7 hours in “Sleep Mode”)

 

Processing

Magic Leap decided to change processing partnerships from NVIDIA to AMD for both its CPU and GPU.

Comparing the two chipsets, the close partnership with AMD delivers an AR-specific processing solution for Magic Leap 2. Oppositely, the NVIDIA chipset in Magic Leap 1 was used for Autonomous Vehicles’ spatial mapping. 

Magic Leap 1’s operating system was also custom built by Magic Leap, whereas Magic Leap 2 will opt for Android as its OS.

vr-expert-magic-leap-puck

In conclusion, it is hard to say the difference in performance other than the core processing numbers naturally are higher for Magic Leap 2, while the choice towards the open-source Android operating system also remains to be seen for stability and performance.

The ultimate VR glossary of words, terms and acronyms

Visual experience of Magic Leap 1 vs Magic Leap 2

One of the key differences between Magic Leap 1 and Magic Leap 2 is the visual experience.

Higher Resolution

Firstly, Magic Leap 2 will have a crisper resolution of 1536×1856 per eye, than Magic Leap 1’s 1280×960 per eye. This is even enhanced with the Dynamic Dimming and Foveated Rendering features of Magic Leap 2 explained below.

VR Expert - Magic leap 1 vs 2 resolution per eye comparison

Field of View (FoV)

Secondly, Magic Leap 2’s now has a 70° diagonal field of view. In comparison the Magic Leap 1’s has 50° diagonal and the Microsoft HoloLens 2 has 52° diagonal, making the ML2 over 25% larger than its predecessor and competitor.

Dynamic Dimming

A major difference between the Magic Leap 1 and Magic Leap 2 is the introduction of Dynamic Dimming. This tackles one of the main weaknesses of the Magic Leap 1, where when used in areas with too much light it could be difficult to work with the holograms and see them. 

vr-expert-magic-leap-2-promo-1jpg

The introduction of dynamic dimming will allow the Magic Leap 2 to better control how much real world light is entering through the headset. Enabling Magic Leap 2 to darken the border around objects, making text and other intricate objects more visible and sharp. 

Different Display Engines

Thirdly, the Magic Leap 2 will use the industry standard within augmented reality called “Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS)” working by redirecting light within an attached waveguide lens.

Compared to the in-house display engine that was developed for the Magic Leap 1. It was called “Photonic Lightfield Chip” and was used to project 3D images using light manipulation on a nanoscale.

vr-expert-magic-leap-2-promo-2

Design and comfort

The Magic Leap 2 is a modernized and sleeker version of Magic Leap 1. Both smart glasses have a distinct design aesthetic and are instantly recognizable compared to other AR headsets.

Similarly, comfort has always been strong for Magic Leap, from off-loading the processing to an external add-on. The biggest difference the Magic Leap 2 will have is a lighter weight of 260 grams compared to Magic Leap 1’s 316 grams. An improvement that will make long hour use much more enjoyable.

The form factor of the device has also changed slightly which will make it more comfortable on the nose and reduce the amount of light entering the device.

vr-expert-magic-leap-2-out-of-the-box

Furthermore, when purchasing the Magic Leap 2, you will get:

  • 2x 45W USB-C chargers with cables
  • 2x power cables
  • 1x Strap
  • 1x Shoulder strap
  • 1x Controller wrist strap
  • 1x Hygienic cleaning cloth
  • 1x Carrying case
  • 1x Forehead and Nose Pad with Frame Insert (with additional nose and forehead pads)
  • 1x Compute Pack
  • 1x ML2 Controller

Improved eye tracking

An extra eye tracking camera will be added on the Magic Leap 2 compared to Magic Leap 1. This aids ML2 in determining where you look and enhancing the picture quality, improving the visual experience using dynamic foveated rendering.

Positional audio

3D sound will be available in Magic Leap 2, allowing the user to distinguish between voices in a room, creating more lifelike meetings.

vr-expert-magic-leap-2-goggles

Price and cost of the Magic Leap 2

Compared to Magic Leap 1, the price difference vs the Magic Leap 2 is substantial as the two headsets were built for different markets: enterprises versus consumers.

The pricing of Magic Leap 2 is offered in three ways. The first is the base package for $3,299, the second is the Developer Pro version for $4,099, and the third is the Enterprise option for $4,999.

vr-expert-magic-leap-2-package

The difference between these three categories is the permission of commercial deployments and external production environments. In other words, if the Magic Leap 2 is meant and allowed to leave the confines of R&D. For example, the base version is permitted in commercial deployments, whereas the Developer Pro option is meant for R&D purposes, and the Enterprise variant offers both.

Alternatives to the Magic Leap 2

Speaking of comparisons, and further comparing Magic Leap 2 with other AR headsets, the spread in price is substantial while the use case differs.

Magic Leap 2 Microsoft HoloLens 2 Lenovo ThinkReality A3 Varjo XR-3 Lynx R-1
Type Augmented Reality Augmented Reality Augmented Reality Mixed Reality Mixed Reality
Price $3,299 (with controllers, Base)

$4,099 (Developer Pro)

$4,999 (Enterprise)

$3,500 headset only $1,499 headset only $5,495 headset only $698 (with controllers, Base)

$1,198 (with controllers, Enterprise edition)

Resolution 1440×1760 per-eye 1440×936 per-eye 1920×1080 per-eye 2880×2720 per-eye 1600×1600 per-eye
Field of View 70° diagonal 52° diagonal 52° diagonal 134° diagonal 90° diagonal
Refresh Rate 120Hz 60Hz 60Hz 90Hz 90Hz
Eye Tracking Yes Yes No Yes No
Hand Tracking Yes Yes No Yes Yes

 

It comes down to if your use case requires mixed reality or augmented reality, and/or if you need an R&D headset or a deployable one. Nevertheless, Magic Leap 2 will offer the best all-around choice for enterprises that need augmented reality.