To make virtual reality (VR) more accessible and suitable for a wider audience companies like Mozilla are developing more WebVR support for head-mounted displays (HMDs), allowing them to utilise more of the internet. Recently, three of the original Mozilla VR team that started the WebVR initiative branched away from the company to build a VR browser for web-based VR content, Supermedium.
Available as a free download from the Supermedium website, the VR browser allows either HTC Vive or Oculus Rift users to access a few dozen curated VR sites at present with more to be added weekly. Currently Supermedium doesn’t allow access to traditional 2D content but that will be added further on down the line.
One of the biggest benefits of WebVR are the load times for content. As the team explain in a blog posting: “A typical native VR application is several or dozens of gigabytes large, takes a minute or two to boot, and costs $20. On Supermedium, you can click a link in Supermedium and within a few seconds, you can be painting in A-Painter, shooting asteroids in Space Rocks, or be on the sea train from Spirited Away. Have a go at a VR experience for a minute or two, and move onto something else if you want.”
The Supermedium team is made up of Kevin Ngo, Diego Marcos and Diego Goberna. They’ve also announced they’re part of Y Combinator’s Winter 2018 startup batch, using the programmes mentorship, support, and network to help build their startup.
“The Web breathes freshness and diversity into the VR content ecosystem. A VR site could be a bite-sized meme, a low fidelity game, a small store, a wedding page, an educational outing quickly thrown together for some students, or something taboo,” adds the team. “Experiences that would otherwise not make it past the app store standards. With the Web, everything is permitted.”
For further updates on WebVR and accessing immersive content online, keep reading VRFocus.