The Wolvic XR browser is switching its engine from Gecko to Chromium.
Wolvic is the open-source successor to Firefox Actuality, which was an internet browser for early standalone headsets like Oculus Go, the unique Oculus Quest, Vive Focus, and HoloLens 2. In 2020 Mozilla laid off 250 staff together with employees engaged on Firefox Actuality, and in 2022 handed over the undertaking to “open supply software program consultancy” Igalia, which relaunched it as Wolvic.
At this time Wolvic is obtainable on Meta Quest, Pico, Magic Leap 2, and Huawei VR Glasses.
Firefox Actuality Browser Below New Stewardship, Now Known as Wolvic
The Firefox Actuality browser undertaking is being continued by an ‘open supply consultancy’ as Wolvic. Firefox Actuality is an internet browser for standalone VR and AR headsets, a undertaking of the XR division of Mozilla Labs. It first launched on Oculus Go’s retailer in 2018. In 2019 it launched
The secure model of Wolvic on app shops at the moment makes use of Gecko, the browser engine developed by Mozilla that is utilized in Firefox. However Igalia has now made a brand new model of Wolvic obtainable for sideloading that makes use of Google’s Chromium browser engine, and it presents considerably higher efficiency for WebGL content material, the rendering API for WebXR experiences.
The Quest Browser and Pico Browser constructed into Meta and ByteDance’s standalone headsets already use Chromium, so Wolvic’s new model permits it to compete straight with them.
The swap to Chromium has additionally enabled Wolvic so as to add help for controller-free hand monitoring, the WebXR AR module, and WebXR layers.
Igalia says it isn’t “instantly abandoning” the Gecko model of Wolvic and can proceed to launch Gecko builds “for a while”. The Chromium model can be not but full, lacking extensions and sync up to now. However over time the Gecko model’s upkeep “will slowly give method to upkeep of the Chromium model”, and can swap the app retailer builds to Chromium within the “near-to midterm future”.
Igalia notes it is making this resolution on technical grounds, not ideological, providing this rationalization:
“Chromium is (at the moment) very advantaged, and doubly so in AOS-based gadgets. Gecko merely doesn’t have the identical degree of upkeep or improvement of its WebXR implementation. It doesn’t combine effectively with the engine’s GPU course of, nor does it at the moment obtain improvement precedence from Mozilla, which implies no new options.”
You’ll be able to obtain new Chromium-based Wolvic APK for sideloading right here.
