Magic Leap is said to ship first devices under tight security

Magic Leap has raised billions of dollars, but continues to be dogged by legal disputes and secrecy complaints. (Magic Leap)

Magic Leap Inc has quietly begun sending its mysterious augmented reality headsets into the wild. A small group of software developers recently received devices at their offices, according to people familiar with the matter. But access to the gadget comes with an usual caveat: They must commit to keeping them in locked safes. 

The Plantation, Florida-based startup is anxious about losing control. Magic Leap has gone to great lengths to maintain a cloud of secrecy around the product. The spread of devices is a prelude to the company’s plans to begin shipping kits to a wider population of developers, something it has promised to do later this year.