---
title: XR Web Browsers
description: Comparing the many web browsers offering a sliding scale of support and features with the latest VR/AR devices.
image: https://xrdevlog.com/img/xrbrowsers.jpg
robots: index, follow
lang: en
dir: ltr
breaks: true
disqus: xrdevlog
---

# XR Web Browsers

{%hackmd theme-dark %}

Perhaps the killer app is already here, just not in the right shape. The most popular app of any device, including VR, is the web browser. The biggest platform in the world in user count is the web.

Indie developers have been producing much more imaginative versions of next generation web browsing than anything big tech corps have made.

There's many vendors offering a sliding scale of support with the latest VR/AR devices.

Originally published April 2019

###### tags: `devlog` `browsers` `webxr`


> "The Metaverse is a collective virtual shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical reality and physically persistent virtual space, including the sum of all virtual worlds, augmented reality, and the internet. The word metaverse is a portmanteau of the prefix "meta" (meaning "beyond") and "universe" and is typically used to describe the concept of a future iteration of the internet, made up of persistent, shared, 3D virtual spaces linked into a perceived virtual universe."

\> **typically used to describe the concept of a future iteration of the internet**

Lets talk Internet browsers!

Links:

- <https://createwebvr.com>
- <https://webvr.rocks/>
- <https://webvr.info>
- <https://mixedreality.mozilla.org>
- <https://immersive-web.github.io/webvr/>

---

### The Goals of WebXR

WebXR is a device API specification that allows Web Developers to create web-accessible immersive experiences for virtual reality and augmented reality devices.


Why is the web THE place for the future of XR?

- Platform agnostic
- Cloud based computation
- Ease XR development

---

### Comparisons

We will be comparing the most notable browsers (project stage or product) that are working to push/support WebXR. Within these analyses we have several factors, them being:

- The engines they run on, the quality of product and development on said engine.
- WebXR/WebVR speeds in examples or products built within these browsers.
- Ease of development using frameworks or standards that the browser supports
- How well does it work with mobile? (mention mobile as a growing AR platform)
- How dedicated are these browsers (companies) to XR and keeping it integrated.
- Is 3D an afterthought just to have supported or is it a focus?
- What developments do we see coming in the near future for these browsers or features that are being worked on that we know about?

**Other questions worth asking the people working on these projects:**

- What's it made with?
- What devices does it currently support?
- What have been some of the challenges you are facing?
- What developments can we expect to see in the near future?

The browsers on this list made it because they met all our criteria of supporting WebXR, being linked to some form of XR hardware, or the priority of 3D experiences.

---

## The Browsers

### [Microsoft](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/webvr/)

Supports WebVR to make it possible to experience immersive 3D applications using Microsoft Edge and a supported VR headset(WindowsXR products).


- **Browser**: Microsoft Edge
- **Hardware**: Windows Mixed Reality
- **Framework**: [Babylon.js](https://www.babylonjs.com/)
- 17000+ commits, 219 contributors, 8600+ stars on Github <https://github.com/BabylonJS/Babylon.js>
- **Development**: <https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/webvr/webvr-with-edge>
- Playground <https://playground.babylonjs.com>
- Mixed Reality Extension SDK <https://github.com/Microsoft/mixed-reality-extension-sdk>
- **Platform/Apps**: Altspace VR <https://altvr.com>


**How well does it work with mobile?**

**How dedicated is this company to XR?**

**What developments do we see coming in the near future?**

---

### [Mozilla Mixed Reality](https://mixedreality.mozilla.org/)


---

**Note: Mozilla has abandoned this project and Igalia has recently forked it into wolvic: https://github.com/Igalia/wolvic**

{%youtube A56dmlQx2Zs %}
See video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A56dmlQx2Zs

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wolvicxr

---

Supports A-Frame to push webVR, "Our mission is to keep the Internet open to innovators, creators, and builders on the web. Virtual Reality is set to change the future of web interaction. The ability for anyone to access and enjoy VR experiences is critical. This is why Mozilla set out to bring virtual reality to web browsers, and why we are enabling WebVR in Firefox."

- **Browser**: Firefox Reality <https://mixedreality.mozilla.org/firefox-reality/>
- 689 commits, 19 contributors, 348 stars on Github <https://github.com/MozillaReality/FirefoxReality>
- **Framework**: A-frame <https://aframe.io>
- 5271 commits, 275 contributors, 9715 stars on Github <https://github.com/aframevr/aframe>
- **Development**: <https://aframe.io/docs/0.9.0/introduction/>
- Spoke <https://hubs.mozilla.com/spoke>
- Inspector <https://aframe.io/aframe-inspector/examples/>
- **Platforms/Apps**: <https://hubs.mozilla.com>



**How well does it work with mobile?**

Really well actually, 60fps on a Zenphone AR and the UI works as expected.

**How dedicated is this company to XR?**

Very dedicated, estimated 10-15 people working on emerging technology such as VR/AR.

**What developments do we see coming in the near future?**

Cross-platform interaction with AR, VR, and traditional desktop displays.

---

### [Supermedium](https://www.supermedium.com/)

Anti-appstore directory of WebVR experiences. "Browse fully 3D, interactive, VR applications, published on the open Web. VR sites feel just like native VR applications and can be anything: mini-games, art installations, journalistic pieces, environments, dance parties, whatever!"


- **Browser**: Supermedium <https://www.supermedium.com>
- **Development**: <https://github.com/supermedium>
- **Platforms/apps**: <https://supermedium.com/supercraft/>

**How well does it work with mobile?**

There is currently no mobile client.

**How dedicated is this company to XR?**

Team of 3 who come from Mozilla and have been working on XR for atleast past 4 years.

**What developments do we see coming in the near future?**

Working on Oculus Quest and will release a new game soon.

---

### [JanusXR](https://janusvr.com)

Twitter: https://twitter.com/janusxr

Build 3-D spaces out of sites, decentralized content storage, multi-user focus with ability to embed 3D WebVR to content in any 2D webpage and vice versa.


<p align="center"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DDWtC8sP0sE" width="100%" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>

Janusweb is a three.js/webGL based client with feature parity to the native C++ client out of the box. It runs ontop of the Elation engine with support for WASM/WebVR.


- **Browser**: Janus <https://janusvr.com> / Janusweb <https://github.com/jbaicoianu/janusweb>
- **Framework**: Janus Guide <https://github.com/madjin/janus-guide>
- **Development**: <https://github.com/janusvr>
- JML <https://github.com/madjin/janus-guide/blob/master/docs/build/assets.md>
- Janus Custom Components <https://github.com/madjin/janus-custom-components>
- Exporters <http://janusvr.com/tools.html>
- **Platforms/Apps**: Vesta <https://vesta.janusvr.com>



**How well does it work with mobile**?

There is an android port of the native C++ client available on the playstore and Janusweb runs on mobile web browsers as well with support for WebVR. There is also an Oculus Go build available on the Oculus store for free.

**How dedicated is this company to XR?**

Since 2014 JanusVR has focused on building an engine and tools for evolving the current flat web into a collaborative spatial walkthrough of the internet.

**What developments do we see coming in the near future?**

---

### [Exokit](https://exokit.org)

Exokit is a native WebXR engine, with features browsers will never have.

> what are a couple of the features exokit has that browsers will never have?
Never say never, but...
- Dom to texture
- Reality tabs (multiple sites at once)
- Run actual native code
- Run OpenVR apps inside your web app (experimenting with this)


Enables developers to build XR experiences using the same code that runs on the web. Exokit engine is written on top of Node and emulates a web browser, providing native hooks for WebGL, WebXR, WebAudio, and other APIs used in immersive experiences.

- **Browser**: Exokit <https://exokit.org> / Emukit <https://github.com/webmixedreality/emukit>
- **Framework**: <https://exokit.org/docs/introduction/>
- **Development**: <https://github.com/webmixedreality>
- 6450 commits, 15 contributors, 406 stars <https://github.com/webmixedreality/exokit>

Read more here: <https://exokit.org/blog/introducing-exokit/>

---

### [Carmel](https://developer.oculus.com/webvr/)

"Discover, enjoy, and share WebVR content without ever taking off your headset.... Support latest WebVR APIs, Optimized for performance using WebGL 2.0 and multi-view extensions, Supports all popular 2D websites, Web-optimized keyboard with over 1000 emojis"


2-D supporting, webvr api, webgl 2.0, made for the Oculus Go and Samsung Gear VR.

---

### [Chrome](https://developers.google.com/web/fundamentals/vr/)

WebVR/WebXR supported in chromium to allow "any VR headset and a VR-capable device your users have — such as a Daydream headset and Pixel phone — to create fully immersive 3D experiences in your browser."

---

### [Samsung Internet](https://hub.samsunginter.net)

Samsung internet is a Chromium based Evergreen browser that is installed by default on Samsung devices.

> "One Browser for all Samsung Galaxy devices. Samsung Internet for Android is a simple, fast, and reliable web browser for your phone and tablet. It has replaced the stock Android browser on Samsung Galaxy devices since 2012, to provide a browser highly optimized for our devices."


**Hardware**: <https://developer.samsung.com/internet#gearvr-overview>

---

### [Helio](https://www.magicleap.com/experiences/helio)

Enables 3D objects (fbx, glTF, and quads) to be pulled out of websites and into the physical world, transforming passive web browsing into an interactive spatial experience.


Magic Leap bills Helio as “the web as it should be: liberated from the confines of flat browsers.”


This is a sample of [prismatic](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@magicleap/prismatic), a declarative JS library for creating 3D content for the Helio browser.

<ml-model
  id="whaleModel"
  src="whale.glb"
  extractable="true"
  extracted-scale="5"
  z-offset="500px"
  prism-rotation="0 -2.35619 0"
  environment-lighting="color-intensity: 1;">
</ml-model>

For more dev samples visit: <https://magicleaphelio.com/devsamples/index>

Here's another recent video clip taken of the Helio browser:

<p align="center"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nTfhmJrRt_Y" width="100%" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>

---

### [Anarchy Arcade](http://anarchyarcade.com/)

**Website: https://www.anarchyarcade.com/blog/welcome/**
**Concept: https://www.anarchyarcade.com/concept.html**

Anarchy Arcade is a source engine based front-end that turns your useless desktop wallpaper into a game world. You use your PC like normal, but AArcade is now your wallpaper.

<p align="center"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QOsd53I-z-4" width="100% height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>

You can launch AA when you start your computer and pause it at any time and it will take between 0.1 - 0.4 percent of CPU resources.



<http://anarchyarcade.com/concept.html>

---

### Metachromium

**Website: http://metachromium.com/**

Multi-app XR browser for Windows based on Chromium that layers WebXR on top of SteamVR.

- Web-based UI follows you to every app
- Run multiple OpenVR/WebXR apps at a time
- Extension system for virtual world scripting
- QR code detection
- FPS controls XR device emulation


---

### Argon4

**Website: https://argonjs.io/**
**Github: https://github.com/argonjs**

---

## Final Thoughts

We can bring back the spicy creative energy the early web had within a whole new medium.

- https://hackmd.io/@XR/maps

---

To do:

- More details for each project
- Get images and video links to supplement each analysis
- Reach out to the teams working on these projects for questions and up to date information
- Peer review and editing