The Future of Web Browsing

Virtual Reality (VR) is a term that is often heard around the internet, especially with the upcoming release of the first commercial VR headset from Oculus called the Oculus Rift.

VR, as a concept, has existed for a long time. Over the last few years, a large number of companies have started investing in it – creating devices such as Samsung Gear, Google Cardboard, and the famous Oculus Rift.

It is shaping up to be the next platform for media consumption, and there are already concepts for optimising websites for VR devices. One of these concepts is the WebVR, which has been adopted by Mozilla, who has also launched a VR-optimised website at: http://mozvr.com/. We are really excited about this, as it showcases what the future of web browsing will look like.

Some of the applications of this include revolutionising online shopping, and there are already apps that can render clothes onto a 3D model of yourself. This means that you will never have to leave the house to try on clothes! The VR technology has also excited many video game developers, who are developing new experiences for the player and taking full advantage of its capabilities to immerse players in new and exciting environments.

Since the technology has not been launched yet, there has been very little talk about standardising it at the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). This is a necessity, as there are multiple VR devices that exist. Some of major issues are compatibility across these devices, especially since competing companies are developing these VR headsets. To solve the problems that this causes for the end user, the community-driven operation – WebVR – hopes to accomplish this.

However, regardless of the hurdles that currently exist, it is a very exciting time for the upcoming VR market. It will be like the time our parents first saw a television, but our story will be in 3D.