Google Adds Oculus Rift Support For Chrome Virtual Reality Apps

Google Chrome gets Rift as Web VR.

Oculus is making it possible for users to experience anything, anywhere, through the power of virtual reality and making it one of the best Accessories to obtain an Ultimate Immersive Experience. So if you are a Google Chrome user then you will be happy to know that the latest version of the web browser version 66, which will now supported the Oculus Rift headset, meaning users can now browse the web using the high-end VR device in Virtual reality (VR) and also other compatible WebVR applications.

The support for Rift was first noticed by a Reddit user on the Oculus subreddit this week, some of whom noticed the new feature in the hidden “Experiments” section of Chrome. Variety later reported on the existence of the feature, and now it has been confirmed that Rift support in Chrome is live now for the Windows 10 version of Google’s browser only. These means that VR web apps won’t run on an Oculus that’s plugged into a Mac.

The functionality has since been confirmed by another Reddit user, who wrote: “Just tried it and yep, it works (had a quick look at the Google Mars surface demo). Without the flag enabled, you just get an option for a desktop 360 view. And For those that don’t know how, in your Chrome address bar, type:chrome://flags then do a search on that page for “Oculus”, and set it to enabled. Then Enable the flag though a option to view in “VR”, and it launches it straight to the headset.”

“the browser allows users to interact with any website in virtual reality, follow links between pages, and automatically switch from 2D content to 3D-based sites that support WebVR. As explained by Google evangelist Francois Beaufort.

Up until now, web VR experiences have been mostly relegated to the mobile version of Chrome. Google started last year by adding support for Daydream-ready Android phones, so you wouldn’t need to launch a special app, but could instead just travel to a VR-ready website or video anywhere on mobile Chrome. Later on, the company expanded support to any Android phone compatible with its DIY, low-cost Cardboard platform. In September 2017, Google made it so Daydream View headset users could explore any website in VR using a special viewer built right into mobile Chrome.

VR support within Chrome is part of Google’s efforts to incorporate the emerging WebVR standard into the browser. This allows developers to deploy VR applications over the web, without the need to have users download apps through storefronts, and more easily reach users across a variety of headsets.

Google added initial support for web browsing in VR, and WebVR, to its own Daydream VR headsets last September. The company has also launched a number of WebVR experiments, and has been highlighting web-based VR experiences built by third-party developers on a dedicated website.