Web browsers are the windows to the world. This also applies to the metaverse. So let’s take a look at how we can access the World Wide Web in the virtual world and how well the VR browsers perform.
First off: unlike the offerings in the real world, browsers in the metaverse are still rather scarce. To my knowledge, there are only two usable browsers – at least in the Oculus world.
Oculus Browser
The Oculus Browser offers all the basic functions one expects from a browser. It comes pre-installed on every Oculus headset – so you can start right away.
You enter the URL using a virtual keyboard and then you’re off. Browsing in the virtual world is a kind of cinema experience. You see a large screen in front of you where the websites appear – the website itself ‘hangs’ in a darkened room.
In the Oculus Browser, you can open tabs or place multiple windows side by side.
HTML content is loaded quickly and cleanly – as you’d expect from a modern browser. Most pages I accessed loaded without any issues.
Downloads can also be initiated in the VR world. Downloaded files end up in the media directory of the Oculus headset. However, due to a lack of appropriate apps, many files cannot be used further. PDFs, Office documents, or proprietary graphic formats simply cannot be edited on the VR headset yet.
Some web tools don’t work because the manufacturers are still blocking themselves or the tools for Oculus. Others recognize the special browser and automatically switch to the 360° offering – for example YouTube, where you’re presented with a selection of VR videos.
The Oculus Browser doesn’t support plugins yet. This makes it impossible to install a password manager, for instance. In everyday life – at least for me – this is extremely tedious. For security reasons, I’ve gotten used to using an individual password with at least 20 random characters for every web service, no matter how trivial – so it’s a great joy when you want to log in without a password manager and the VR headset blocks your view of your smartphone.
Ad blockers don’t exist in the virtual world yet either – and you become aware once again of how many websites are distorted beyond recognition when no ad blocker is there to maintain order.
Conclusion: the Oculus Browser is solid and allows you to instantly access the web in the virtual world.
Firefox VR
But there’s another alternative: Firefox offers a special edition of its Firefox browser specifically for VR environments. With a decisive advantage: there’s a counterpart on mobile devices and desktop computers, and you can use Firefox Sync to share bookmarks and passwords with the real world.
This greatly increases comfort: your own bookmark collection is available in the virtual world as well, and you can reach your destination much faster.
Otherwise, the same conditions apply to Firefox Reality as described above for the Oculus Browser. Here too, no extensions can be used. At least not yet. I assume that this function will eventually make its way into the VR world in the future.
