philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

7Aug/17Off

Firefox soon will help you lose yourself in the VR web

firefox-webvr-screenshotMozilla plans to release a version of its Firefox browser Tuesday that embraces a version of virtual reality for the web.

Back in 2014, Mozilla developers including Vladimir Vukicevic put together a concept called WebVR. The idea was to let web browsers navigate virtual realms, and make it easier for people to create a VR world once that would work on all sorts of devices.

But Vukicevic headed off to game engine maker Unity, and Google's Chrome browser beat Mozilla with WebVR support. Microsoft's Edge also edged out Firefox, adding WebVR support in April. Microsoft and Google, which both sell devices to experience virtual reality and its augmented reality cousin, have a big incentive to make virtual reality real.

"WebVR is the major platform feature shipping in Firefox 55," the latest Firefox release calendar update says. "Firefox users with an HTC Vive or Oculus Rift headset will be able to experience VR content on the web and can explore some exciting demos."

There are caveats to using WebVR today. Chrome's support only is on Android-powered devices right now, and WebVR on Edge requires you to put the browser in a developer mode.

WebVR is also important for Mozilla. The nonprofit organization is fighting to reclaim its relevance and restore its reputation after Firefox slid into Chrome's shadow in recent years. The work to get Firefox back into fighting trim will culminate with Firefox 57, due to arrive Nov. 14.

"VR will beget AR pretty quickly as a mass-market opportunity," Beard said. "Browsers play a very meaningful role."

See the full story here: https://www.cnet.com/news/firefox-55-gets-webvr-support-for-more-immersive-web/

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