react-vrMichael Antonov, Chief Software Architect at Oculus, is due to speak at Facebook’s F8 Developer Conference on April 18th about React VR, a framework that builds on Facebook’s React JavaScript library. This web-based framework allows easier creation of VR content that can run on VR headsets from the browser.

The F8 developer conference is Facebook’s annual event to discuss future technology related to the company and its various platforms; virtual reality is one of the key topics, with 7 sessions dedicated to VR content creation, social experiences, and WebVR.

This includes a session with Oculus Chief Software Architect Michael Antonov, along with Product Manager Andrew Mo, who will discuss the React VR framework. React VR builds on the well-established React JavaScript library, an open-source project from Facebook, used by many websites to build user interfaces. Working with React VR is designed to be comfortable and familiar territory for web developers, and in most cases does not require adjusting the low level WebVR layer. (WebVR is an API pioneered by Mozilla and Google that enables a VR experience to be embedded into a normal webpage.)

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The April 18th F8 session will expand on their WebVR presentation at Oculus Connect 3 last year (where React VR was first announced), “[showcasing] the potential of React VR across verticals such as travel, news, commerce, and more.” On the 19th, software engineers Andrew Imm and Mike Armstrong will present another React VR session, showing, “how React VR builds upon React Native, and how the supporting layers and libraries interact.”

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Dominic Brennan
The trial version of Microsoft’s Monster Truck Madness probably had something to do with it. And certainly the original Super Mario Kart and Gran Turismo. A car nut from an early age, Dominic was always drawn to racing games above all other genres. Now a seasoned driving simulation enthusiast, and former editor of Sim Racer magazine, Dominic has followed virtual reality developments with keen interest, as cockpit-based simulation is a perfect match for the technology. Conditions could hardly be more ideal, a scientist once said. Writing about simulators lead him to Road to VR, whose broad coverage of the industry revealed the bigger picture and limitless potential of the medium. Passionate about technology and a lifelong PC gamer, Dominic suffers from the ‘tweak for days’ PC gaming condition, where he plays the same section over and over at every possible combination of visual settings to find the right balance between fidelity and performance. Based within The Fens of Lincolnshire (it’s very flat), Dominic can sometimes be found marvelling at the real world’s ‘draw distance’, wishing virtual technologies would catch up.

  • ReactVR really interests me… I’m very curious. Web VR development is very interesting, since it is inherently cross platform and ideal for applications like e-commerce..

  • Becca

    Why the lack of love for A-Frame? Road to VR, that’s a framework that deserves your attention :)

    • I wouldn’t be surprised if React VR uses A-Frame underneath.

      A-Frame appears to be a sibling to HTML, and SVG – a set of new VR-related DOM elements. React is a layer of abstraction that allows you to create and modify HTML and SVG DOM elements in a way that’s declarative rather than procedural.

      Given all that, my guess would be that React VR is going to be an extension to React that adds A-Frame elements to the HTML/SVG ones already covered by React proper, potentially mixing in some polyfills as well, or adding new pseudo-elements for aspects of WebVR that are not yet covered by A-Frame.