Firefox Reality (browser)

2022: Project Closure

In February 2022, Mozilla announced the closure of the Firefox Reality virtual reality browser project. Instead, the company will launch a new browser, which will be called Wolvic.

As the developers explained, Firefox Reality was an interesting and important development that began when virtual reality (VR) devices were still very young. After that, the project needed new investments, updates and support. Therefore, it turned out to be easier to close it.^[1]

2018: Announcement of Firefox Reality

In early April 2018, Mozilla introduced the Firefox Reality browser, designed for virtual (VR) devices, augmented (AR) and mixed (MR) realities.

Project developers call Firefox Reality the first multi-platform web browser on the market for VR and AR, as well as the only open source browser for mixed reality. Project sources are posted on the GitHub website.

Firefox Reality Browser

Firefox Reality is based on the computer version of the Firefox browser, but is distinguished by the use of the experimental Servo engine, a feature of which was the paralleling of basic actions on  many isolated threads for use in devices with multi-core processors.

Thanks to the openness of the Firefox Reality project, hardware manufacturers can create browser versions for their helmets and headsets, such as Oculus Go, Google Daydream, Vive Focus, GearVR and Snapdragon VR.

Developers demonstrated the browser using the example of the Vive Focus helmet. Judging by the video (see below), Firefox Reality looks like a traditional browser, but a little simplified and "soaring" in virtual space. The video shows how the user smoothly scrolls through the pages using the VR controller, but hitting the small buttons for him is a little problematic.

Firefox Reality is not the first browser for gadgets that provide immersion in virtual and augmented reality. So, Samsung has its own application called Internet for the Gear VR platform, in which browser elements are located around the user. Developers of such software products try to optimize the interface for VR and AR devices, while Firefox Reality is not much different from a regular PC browser in terms of user interface organization.^[2]

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