The Mozilla Foundation is hoping to take on a central role in how virtual and augmented reality users consume web content.

The nonprofit this morning introduced a new release of Firefox specifically designed to work with headsets such as the HTC Vive Focus. Firefox Reality, as the experimental browser is called, takes the form of a floating panel with the same basic controls as the desktop version. Users can navigate the interface and browse web pages with the help of a virtual pointer.

Firefox Reality has a fairly limited feature set due to the fact that it’s in an early stage of development, but the simple look hides a complex architecture. Mozilla said the browser combines the performance upgrades that it implemented in the recent Quantum release of the standard edition of Firefox with Servo, an experimental web engine. The latter system is based on the group’s own Rust programming language and aims to speed up loading times by handling key rendering tasks in parallel.

In coming weeks, Mozilla plans to release information about the more advanced features planned for Firefox Reality. Among other things, the group is working on an “experimental computer vision pipeline” along with tools meant to help developers create better immersive experiences.

Mozilla is positioning Firefox Reality as a cross-platform alternative to the system-specific browsers available on leading AR and VR headsets. The group touts the platform as an independent product that provides more “transparency” than the competition on account of being open-source. One particularly important aspect of Mozilla’s value proposition is privacy, which it plans to deliver by porting the website permission management features from the standard edition.

Firefox Reality represents the latest fruit of the group’s long-running effort to boost VR and AR adoption. Mozilla’s past contributions include the WebVR specification for building browser-based virtual reality content and WebXR, an expanded iteration of the standard that also supports augmented reality.

Mozilla has made the source code for Firefox Reality available on GitHub. According to CNET, the group is looking to release a more stable version suitable for consumers sometime in the summer.

Image: Mozilla