Mozilla begins external testing of MozVR, new VR-based Firefox browser
Mozilla begins external testing of MozVR, new VR-based Firefox browser
Late last year, Mozilla launched MozVR, a VR website aimed at fostering the emerging virtual reality Web. The Web has traditionally been a 2D medium, but MozVR is designed to help offer a native VR web experience and devise unique navigation and interface solutions.
Mozilla has now opened up a test version of its WebVR browser via MozVR to external developers as the next step in advancing a VR-enabled browsing experience. If the technology proves viable, Firefox users could eventually enjoy a more immersive and interactive browsing experience on headsets like the Oculus Rift.
And with a slate of VR headsets – including the Rift – set to hit shelves next year, this is as good a time to kick off testing as any.
VR has generally been thought of as the domain of gaming, and more recently, film, but that will change if Mozilla has its way. “VR is too big to be left just to [gamers],” said Josh Carpenter, a UX designer for Mozilla who is working on MozVR.
Mozilla sees a wide range of applications for VR-based web browsing, including VR tours of property. It could also open up an entirely new canvas for web designers and artists to draw on in the area of website design. In a demonstration last week, Mozilla showcased websites that allowed users to experience helicopter flight over a desert canyon and Alaskan bay.
By opening up testing to more developers, Mozilla will be able to capitalize on feedback from more sources and take advantage of their efforts to create new ways to explore a new, more immersive Web.
Source: USA Today