Google is apparently working on adding immersive browsing capabilities to its browser Chrome. The company is planning to add a VR shell to its browser, which will help the users browse the entire web in VR, instead of just a few sites which are specifically built for VR.
With this step, Google aims to bring uniformity in the user experience because as of now, there are already billions of websites which are not built for VR whereas there is a handful which does support VR. So, a user wearing a VR headset, while browsing the web, will have to take off the headset in order to consume content off a ‘non-VR’ website.
As aforementioned, Google has different plans (ensuring uniformity). By adding a VR shell to Chrome, Google will enable the users to stay within the VR headset, regardless of the type of website, thus eliminating the need to take off the headset.
To transform this concept into a reality, Google Chrome Beta and Google Chrome Dev on Android have roped in two important features. Chrome Dev has received a significant addition of ‘VR Shell’ setting which according to Google’s ‘Chromium Evangelist’, Francois Beaufort will allow the users to browse the entire web using a VR headset.
Additionally, Google Chrome beta now contains a WebVR setting which plans to accommodate enhanced VR headset computability even with websites that are built against the standards of WebVR.
Currently, both the options are working their way through a series of development channels so that they are stable enough to be used on a wider scale. Google’s WebVR developer, Josh Carpenter, also commented on the concept and said, “The WebVR API is meant to facilitate a richer ecosystem support, things like link traversal between WebVR experiences without dropping out of VR mode, and more.”
