Magic Leap recently announced some new programs that aim to get developers creating for the its AR headset, Magic Leap 1. The company additionally released dates for its developer conference, LEAP Developer Days, which will be held in May at Magic Leap’s headquarters in Florida.
Magic Leap is starting another hardware initiative soon, dubbed ‘Access Hardware’, which aims to get its AR headset into the hands of developers who are “serious about publishing applications with Magic Leap,” the company writes in a recent blog post.
The program is targeting existing developers hoping to release a “quality app in 2020,” which may point to another effort by the company to fill out its library of games, apps, and experiences before an ostensible consumer-facing hardware launch.
The company has thus far delivered $10 million in grants to 33 developers worldwide, and has given away hundreds of its Magic Leap One Creator Edition headsets (now rebranded to ‘Magic Leap 1’).
Outside of the physical hardware, which has a base price of $2,300, the Access Hardware initiative is also offering support from Magic Leap’s developer relations team so qualifying apps can be published on the platform’s store, Magic Leap World. Developers can apply for Access Hardware here.
“During the application process, we’ll look for things like technical experience, project feasibility, and the overall quality of your submission. Hint: we’re particularly interested in ideas that solve problems and create opportunities for enterprise markets and customers,” the company says.
The company says it will announce more details about developer funding later this year in addition to other support programs for enterprise-focused developers and agencies.
If West Coasters were hoping for a return of LEAP to its inaugural location in Los Angeles this year, they’ll actually need to do a bit of globe-trotting. Slated to take place at the company’s Plantation, Florida headquarters, the company says developers should expect “behind-the-scenes access to help accelerate their development and the growth of their businesses.”
LEAP Developer Days will be divided into two groups, held respectively on May 19-20 and May 21-22. This, the company says, will allow for face-to-face time with its dev relations team, studios, marketing teams, engineers and designers building the core Magic Leap hardware and platform.
