Mozilla has launched an early preview of ‘Hubs’, a WebVR experiment touted as an “immersive social experience.”
Mozilla said on its official blog that Hubs was an immersive social experience that was delivered through the browser. You simply click on a Web link to begin interacting with others inside Virtual Reality (VR).
You begin by visiting the Hubs portal through any browser, then you choose a name for your virtual room, a robotic avatar, & a name for yourself, and you can enter the virtual world. To interact with friends, you can then copy/paste the URL and share a dedicated link with them.
What makes Hubs different? Well, Hubs is…
Built for the Browser
When we announced Firefox Reality earlier this month, we reinforced our stance that the web provides the best future for virtual and augmented reality (or “Mixed Reality”). This technology is at tipping point. If we want to continue to bring immersive experiences into the mainstream, we need to be laser focused on removing friction for the user. The technology needs to step out of the way, and the experiences need to take center stage.
With Hubs, you can create a room with a single click. You can then share and access that room with a URL. No app store. No gatekeepers. No installation process. Just click and you are there.
Built for Every Device
Because we are using web standards (WebVR and eventually WebXR) to deliver this content, we are able to support every single Mixed Reality headset. Every. Single. One. You can enjoy this experience with advanced hardware such as an Oculus Rift or an HTC Vive, or you can use alternatives such as a Daydream or cardboard viewer. You can even use your desktop or mobile phone if you don’t have access to any VR hardware. Everyone can come together and communicate with each other in this online social space. The experience will progressively scale to make use of the hardware that is available to you.
Built for Privacy
Ensuring your privacy when meeting others in Mixed Reality is a guiding principle for our work. You can take a look at our privacy policy here. We want to shape a future for Mixed Reality where users feel safe, and that means we need to create create tools, options, and features that empower users to control how their identity is represented in this new medium. We’ll have more to share soon about the work we are doing to protect your privacy in Mixed Reality. We also built this experience with open source software that anyone can view and contribute to.
Built for Scaling
The experience that is available today is an experiment, but the technology that powers it can be extended in exciting ways. In the coming months we will continue to release new tools and features, as we learn together through use and iteration. This includes kits to create your own custom spaces, powerful avatar and identity options, integrations with existing communications tools, and more.
Image Credit: Mozilla
