Mozilla unveiled a new web browser today called Firefox Reality. Firefox Reality has been in development for some time as a web browser for virtual and mixed reality headsets.

Mozilla believes that virtual reality and mixed reality will play a big role in the next five or ten years, and that is why it decided to create a cross-platform open source browser explicitly for virtual reality scenarios.

Mozilla engineers worked on virtual and augmented reality technologies such as WebVR, WebAR and A-Frame in the past. The organization used that knowledge to build a web browser designed for "browsing the immersive web".

Sean White on behalf of Mozilla reveals why Firefox Reality is an important program for the VR Web going forward:

  • First cross-platform browser for Mixed Reality; others are closed and platform specific.
  • Only open source browser for Mixed Reality.
  • Mozilla respects privacy.
  • Firefox Reality benefits from Firefox Quantum and other speed enhancements of the past couple of years.
  • Built for the future, and browsers are the future of mixed reality.

Mozilla published a short demo video that shows an early version of the web browser in action.



Mozilla released the source code of Firefox Reality on GitHub. Users may download a developer build that is compatible with Daydream, HTC Vive Focus and HTC Vive Wave initially.

The organization plans to release regular updates as development progresses to keep interested users and parties informed.

  • Details of the design process, from paper sketches to headset prototyping
  • Sneak peeks of Firefox Reality running on a variety of pre-release headsets
  • New capabilities for artists, designers, and developers of immersive experiences
  • Integration of Servo, along with experimental extensions to the WebGL graphics APIs
  • An experimental computer-vision pipeline using WebAssembly
  • Device, gesture, and voice-interaction features

Closing Words

How big will Virtual Reality or Mixed Reality be in five or ten years? Will we all be sitting at our computer with VR headsets or will it be one of those new technologies that won't see large adoption outside specific niches?