Mozilla just unveiled a new experiment called Hubs, which makes it easy to get together with others in virtual reality.
Hubs works in the browser, and since it’s built on the WebVR standard, it supports “every single mixed reality headset,” Mozilla’s Sean White wrote in a blog post. That includes the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and cheaper alternatives like Daydream and Cardboard.
Just head over to Hubs, and create a room with a single click, then share the URL with others. “No app store. No gatekeepers. No installation process. Just click and you are there,” White wrote. Friends who don’t have a VR headset can also join in the fun from their desktop or mobile phone.
You can choose from several different scenes when creating your room, including a “medieval fantasy book,” a sparsely decorated atrium, or a futuristic meeting place. When you enter, you’ll add a display name, and select one of the robot-styled avatars.
“When in the room, you can see one another, move around, and pick up and throw virtual objects,” Mozilla’s Greg Fodor wrote. “And of course, you can hear each other’s voices with fully spatialized audio, so it sounds like you are in a real place.”
On the privacy front, Mozilla said it won’t record or store any audio from your VR parties. When you agree to let Hubs use your microphone, it will stay on as long as you remain in a room, unless you turn it off.
Mozilla plans to release new Hubs tools and features in the “coming months,” including “kits to create your own custom spaces, powerful avatar and identity options, integrations with existing communications tools, and more.” For now, the browser maker is encouraging users to give this preview a try and share feedback about the experience.
The launch of Hubs comes after Mozilla last year formed a team focused on creating social experiences using mixed reality and the open web. This is the first experiment it has released as part of that effort.
“We think [Hubs] showcases the potential for the web to become the best, most accessible platform to bring people together around the world in this new medium,” Fodor wrote.
