While Apple launched ARKit to enable developers to build augmented into mobile apps, Mozilla, the company behind the Firefox browser, is taking advantage of the platform to advocate for browser-based AR experiences.
On Friday, the software maker made the WebXR Viewer app available for download from Apple's App Store. The app lets developers leverage ARKit's functionality, such as horizontal surface detection, to view web-based AR content created with the WebXR Javascript library.
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Previously, the app was available through GitHub, but Mozilla published it on the App Store as a convenience for developers. The app also comes with five sample experiments for users to view.
Meanwhile, developers working on Android can utilize the WebARonARCore app, available on GitHub, to experiment with web AR experiences for the ARCore platform.
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Mozilla is pushing the WebXR API as the standard to enable immersive content to run on augmented and virtual reality devices. This would enable web content to be viewed the same way on VR devices as it would be on AR headsets like the Meta 2, HoloLens, and ODG R9, as well as mobile devices running ARKit or ARCore.
Although companies like Mozilla and Google do have a vested interest in maintaining web traffic versus siphoning off users to walled immersive content gardens, having a standard by which developers can share their experiences to any web browser also benefits the adoption of augmented reality overall.
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Cover image via Mozilla
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