Search engine juggernaut Google has just added a new feature to Google Chrome that allows it to turn practically any device into a virtual reality platform.
VR has always been an “expensive extra”, which is why it hasn’t taken off in a big way yet. But new smartphones are increasingly coming with VR capability, and the Daydream View headset as well as upcoming Windows 10 VR headsets from major PC makers are making virtual reality a more affordable experience as time goes by.
The new feature in Google Chrome that enables it to do this is called WebVR, and websites that are WebVR-enabled can deliver VR content to anyone viewing them on Google Chrome.
WebVR is still and experimental technology, and is basically a JavaScript API that delivers a virtual reality experience to VR headsets via a browser – in this case, Google Chrome 56 or higher.
But there’s a catch: unless you own some kind of VR headset, you can’t get the full VR experience. However, what you’ll get is probably the closest thing to VR as possible – flat screen VR.
In addition to Google Chrome 56 and up, WebVR is also available in the Firefox Nightly Builds as well as experimental builds of Chromium for Windows. For more technical details on WebVR and how it works, you can visit the WebVR website.
On mobile devices, the full VR experience is possible if you have a VR headset and a Daydream-ready smartphone.
Here’s a list of all supported VR headsets:
- Oculus Rift
- HTC Vive
- Samsung Gear VR
- Google Cardboard
Here’s a list of smartphones that currently support Daydream VR – either available right now or coming soon:
- Axon 7 second-gen from ZTE
- Pixel and Pixel XL
- Moto Z (as well as Z Droid and Z Force Droid)
- Huawei Mate 9 Pro (coming soon)
- ZenFone AR (coming soon)
At the moment there aren’t that many VR-enabled websites, or WebVR sites, but for starters you can visit sites like Matterport, Within, PlayCanvas and Vizor.
Google has promised to bring more WebVR-enabled websites in the near future, but for now you’ll have to settle for what’s available.
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