Firefox 55 joins Chrome, Microsoft Edge in supporting browser-based WebVR

By Mark Coppock Published August 7, 2017

firefox 55 adds webvr support — Kārlis Dambrāns/Flickr

WebVR is a growing industry standard that aims to bring virtual reality (VR) to web browsers, as well as provide an easy way for developers to create and distribute VR content. Google recently added WebVR support to its dominant Chrome browser, and it rolled out the WebVR Experiments site to highlight new experiences available to browser users. Now, Mozilla has joined in the fun, adding WebVR support in its latest browser release, Firefox 55.

Firefox users who own an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive VR headset can now use Mozilla’s browser to experience VR on the web. All three of the major web browsers now support WebVR, with Microsoft’s addition of support for the standard in its Edge browser in Windows 10. Note that Chrome’s support is limited to Android devices, and for now Edge must be placed in developers mode in Windows 10 Creators Update or later to view WebVR content.

Recommended Videos

A blog post from Mozilla introduced WebVR support at the beginning of June 2017. It highlighted a Web VR workshop where developers learned more about integrating content in browsers and highlighted vendor and community collaboration in creating the WebVR specification. Going forward, all browser developers will be working together to ensure that WebVR support is consistent across all platforms, and Mozilla invites developers to visit the A-Frame school to learn how to create interactive WebVR content.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

In addition to WebVR support, Firefox 55 also brings its Firefox Screenshots feature. Firefox Screenshots has been in beta since July 2017, and its public debut adds built-in screenshot capabilities to Firefox. The feature allows users to easily grab an entire web page or select a portion of the screen, and then download an image to their device or share it on social media.

Firefox 55 will be automatically installed on Wednesday, August 8, and you can download it here if you’re in a hurry. Once the new version is installed, you will also receive the usual performance and security updates to go along with these two major features. Note that Mozilla is promising a major update in Firefox 57, to be released November 14, which will bring the new Photon UI to the second-place browser.

Topics

Computing Writer

Mark Coppock is a Freelance Writer at Digital Trends covering primarily laptop and other computing technologies. He has…

Deals

The 40 best tech gifts under $100 for the one who has everything

A burning Solo Stove

Every year, it's inevitable that you run into the same problem: What do you get for your friend or relative that already has everything or that you simply don't know very well? Tech gifts under $100 are a great safe option -- after all, most of us could use a new keyboard or pair of headphones, even if our old ones are still working reasonably well.

In crafting the list below, we scoured our favorite retailers to find a variety of great items in a variety of styles and price points. We included plenty of tech gifts under $100 you'll definitely expect, like speakers, earbuds, and lots of gaming gear, but we also threw in some products you might not ever find for yourself, like a smokeless fire pit, or even a blender. The bottom line is this: scroll down below, and you'll be able to find a tech gift under $100 idea for even the most difficult-to-shop-for friend.

Computing

It’s only a matter of time before this $600 Lenovo 2-in-1 is back to $900

The Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1.

Whether you’re looking for a light and portable PC for work or school, or you’re in the market for a device you can do photo editing with and watch HD movies, one of the best computer brands to consider is Lenovo. And while we see plenty of Lenovo laptop deals, we’re less inclined to find Best Buy deals like the one we get to highlight right now. Today, when you purchase the Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 Laptop at Best Buy, you’ll only pay $600. At full price, this model sells for $900.

Why you should buy the Lenovo Yoga 7
This version of the Yoga 7 2-in-1 comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS CPU that delivers up to 3.3GHz clock speeds. You also get AMD Radeon Graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. AI features like document summarizing and basic image generation are handled by Microsoft Copilot. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 7 CPU does a fantastic job at handling even the most demanding of 2-in-1 workflows. You’ll also be treated to a 14-inch 1920x1200 IPS screen for work and play (Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, anyone?).

Computing

Samsung Galaxy Book5 360 Pro vs. MacBook Air 15: a narrower gap

samsung galaxy book5 pro 360 review featured 9267d9

There are some great 15-inch laptops, as well as similar-sized 16-inch machines, that have started to take over the large laptop space. The Apple MacBook Air 15 is a great laptop that's a leader here thanks to a solid build, great performance, and even better battery life.

But Windows laptops have a new weapon in the efficiency wars with Intel's new Lunar Lake chipsets. The Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 2-in-1 uses Lunar Lake for better efficiency, but is it enough to take over the crown from the MacBook Air 15? Unfortunately not.
Specs and configurations