Firefox is getting VR support tomorrow
Firefox, which was revamped in June with a speed boost, is going for the gold here. Its latest version, Firefox 55, is set to come out on August 8th complete with VR support. Firefox will be joining the ranks of Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, which also added web-based VR functionality this past year.
Web-based VR on Firefox will be available for all Windows users who have an HTC Vive or Oculus Rift headset. It’s something that has been in the works for Mozilla for a while, using a standard called WebVR that allows browsers to run virtual-reality experiences. It’s already available in Firefox Nightly, the pre-release version of Mozilla’s browser, and has very limited availability in Servo, a browser engine built by individual developers and sponsored by Mozilla.
Still, Firefox lags behind its bigger competitor, Chrome. Chrome, which added web-based VR in February, is currently the most accessible browser for VR platforms. On Chrome, you can use VR content on the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and obviously, Google’s own Cardboard and Google Daydream.
Firefox 55 will also include a new tool still in beta testing called Firefox Screenshots, which automatically saves screenshots to the cloud and then copies them to your clipboard. Screenshots expire in two weeks unless manually set to last longer.
