Announced during the second day of Google’s annual I/O developer event, Daydream VR will soon have access to the Android Chrome web browser. Because of Chrome’s official support for WebVR, this means that users will be able to navigate their way to their next VR-optimised web experience without having to remove the headset.

Google has actively worked on bringing web-based content to VR for some time, having co-authored the WebVR specification (enabling rich VR content to be written with JavaScript and WebGL) three years ago, but the user experience has felt incomplete without proper browser support.

Soon, the Chrome browser will be available within Daydream, and it is the same application; sharing the same bookmarks, history, and login information as the ‘2D’ version you would normally use on your phone. The Daydream controller will enable easy navigation on any normal web page, and as soon as you hit WebVR content, it will launch into a more immersive mode. Eventually, the transition between 2D web pages and VR-optimised web content should become more seamless.

AR features are also expected to make their way into the landscape of web browsing, starting with an experimental build of Chromium launching on GitHub today, which has WebAR features enabled. Andrey Doronichev, Product Director of VR and AR apps at Google, explained how it should work similarly to WebVR, “being able to easily integrate AR features into your existing websites so that as a developer, you don’t have the friction of teaching the user new behaviours or making them download a new app”.

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As an example, he showed a shopping experience running in WebGL and Javascript from a Wayfair website, which allows the user to mark out their room space and then place a virtual item (only the ones that fit), such as a coffee table, to see if it suits the room before they buy.

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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.