Web browser developer Mozilla (very good browser to view 3D configurators) Corp. will provide its flagship product Firefox with Virtual Reality (VR) functions be default with the planned update on Tuesday.
This addition will bring Firefox into line with its main competitors Edge and Chrome, which already support some parts of the online VR display standard. The Firefox 55 update, which starts tomorrow, will include the WebVR standard, which opens VR viewing capability for Web and mainstream VR Windows-enabled headsets as well as 2D browser capability.
“WebVR is the big platform that comes with Firefox 55,” Mozilla wrote in his update roadmap. “Firefox users with an HTC Vive or Oculus Rift can experience VR content on the web.”
Mozilla`s Firefox has lagged behind other leading browsers for Windows over the years with the inclusion of the WebVR standard. Google Inc.`s Chrome browser added WebVR capabilities in February and Microsoft Corp. added support for the Edge build 15007 programming interface in January – full standard support in Edge is introduced with the Windows 10 Creators Update.
Mozilla announced its intention to make VR available to all Firefox users in June.
“WebVR transforms VR into a world-class experience on the Web, giving it the endless possibilities of openness and interoperability of the Web platform,” wrote Sean White, senior vice president of emerging technologies at Mozilla. “In conjunction with WebGL for rendering 3D graphics, these API`s transform the browser into a platform that allows VR content to be published on the Web and instantly consumed by any capable VR device.
WebVR is an experimental JavaScript API that provides developers with easy support for VR devices such as the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Google Cardboard via a web browser. In a fully compatible browser, a developer with WebVR can detect VR devices, list device functions, determine device orientation, and stream VR images at the appropriate frame rate.
With WebVR, developers using Web-based APIs can create VR experiences that are compatible with multiple devices and run on different platforms such as Windows, iOS, Linux or Android.
Support for WebVR was developed year-round with version 1.1 available in a number of browsers: Chrome for Android, Firefox Nightly, Samsung Internet, Microsoft Edge, Servo and Oculus Carmel.
Consumers who use WebVR-enabled browsers can already find content on the Web that uses this standard. For example, the Within Unlimited Inc. website offers 360-degree VR movies, including Asteroids and the Mr. Robot Virtual Reality experience. Alternatively, you can find many new friends with the VR Social App Beloola.
WebVR Experiments also features a variety of experiences including Google Creative Lab`s “The Musical Forrest”, Wild`s virtual tennis game “Konterball” and “Under Neon Lights”, an interactive music video by the Chemical Brothers from Within.
A number of tools that support WebVR already exist for developers like JanusVR to create immersive 3D webspaces and worlds on the web. A-Frame, Mozilla`s open source community-based development framework for 3D game modeling, and PlayCanvas, a 3D game engine and interactive application developed with a cloud-based creation platform.
There`s still a lot for you to discover. Enjoy exploring the new technical possibilities.
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