Firefox Reality: Bringing the Immersive Web to Mixed Reality Headsets

Today we are proud to announce Firefox Reality, a new web browser designed from the ground up for stand-alone virtual and augmented reality headsets. We took our existing Firefox web technology and enhanced it with Servo, our experimental web engine. From Firefox, we get decades of web compatibility as well as the performance benefits of Firefox Quantum. From the Servo team (who recently joined the Mixed Reality team), we will gain the ability to experiment with entirely new designs and technologies for seeing and interacting with the immersive web. This is the first step in our long-term plan to deliver a totally new experience on an exciting new platform.

Here’s an early video of our web engine and test UI:

In the coming weeks, we will release regular updates on our work, including:

• Details of the design process, from paper sketches to headset prototyping
• Sneak peeks of Firefox Reality running on a variety of pre-release headsets
• New capabilities for artists, designers, and developers of immersive experiences
• Integration of Servo, along with experimental extensions to the WebGL graphics APIs
• An experimental computer-vision pipeline using WebAssembly
• Device, gesture, and voice-interaction features

And much more!

Firefox Reality is designed and engineered specifically for the next generation of standalone VR and AR headsets, but during initial development our source code will also run in Developer Mode on Daydream and Gear VR devices. As of today, we’re releasing source code and developer builds for a variety of platforms. Updates will continue to be published here on the blog, as well as our Twitter account. If you are interested in learning more about or contributing to Firefox Reality, then reach out.