Why would Magic Leap, a company preparing to launch its first augmented reality headset this year, need a developer for iPhone and iPad apps? It's not as crazy as it sounds.

The company has published a job listing for a senior iOS application developer to "help create the future of Mixed Reality computing."

On the surface, it's an odd request, particularly since the company's Lumin OS is derived from Linux and the Android Open Source Project.

One day, a senior iOS application developer will also walk through these doors. Image by Magic Leap/YouTube

However, developer documentation on Magic Leap's Creator Portal brings some clarity to how the role is relevant to the forthcoming Magic Leap One.

In the "Best Practices in Game Design" article (registration required), the company describes how multi-user experiences can involve smartphones, tablets, desktop computers, game consoles, and even televisions.

"As the 'Internet of Things' extends to more and more devices, spatial computing can become more a part of everyone's lives," the company states on its website.

The article continues to describe how multi-user experiences can involve players taking on varying roles in their pursuit of the game's objective. For example, players wearing the Magic Leap One could participate in an augmented reality gaming experience, while friends might serve as a "dungeon master" via a laptop or a mobile device to direct the action or story.

Multiplayer experiences appear to be the next big thing for augmented reality. Unity has made strides to facilitate cross-platform experiences with its ARInterface. Likewise, a number of AR cloud companies and platforms have emerged to enable developers to build multi-player apps.

It's a refreshing approach in a world where gamers on PlayStation and Xbox platforms are rarely able to enjoy multi-player games across platforms and iOS and Android users often find themselves siloed among their own kind.