Virtual Reality: Getting Started with Mobile VR & WebVR

VR for all! As we announced last week, Sketchfab has built native apps for exploring VR content on the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Gear VR and Android/iOS Cardboard.

These demo apps highlight some awesome Sketchfab scenes, but you can also view any of Sketchfab’s 750,000 models on these devices in VR!

Mobile VR

Cardboard

Your smartphone can view any Sketchfab model in VR using our stereoscopic viewer and a Google Cardboard (or similar). Just go to the model page and tap View in VR to open the model in Cardboard mode.

Gear VR

Using the Samsung Gear is very similar. Put your phone in the headset, open the Samsung Internet browser, and go to internet://webvr-enable. WebVR should now be enabled on your device/browser.

Then just like the Cardboard, go to VR Mode on any model page.

Navigation

Orbit

By default, the model will be in Orbit mode. Head tracking works with most devices and lets you rotate around a model, like this elephant:

Try it here.

If the initial camera view is inside a scene, you can look around, like Van Gogh’s Room:

Try it here.

First-Person

You can switch to First-Person mode from the viewer settings menu. Head tracking works with most devices and lets you look around from a fixed position. You can also “walk” forward by pressing the Cardboard button (press/hold the top center of the screen in landscape).

Try it here.

Desktop WebVR

You can also view Sketchfab models with Virtual Reality headsets like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. It takes a few extra steps, but this guide should help you through the process without much pain 🙂

Desktop WebVR viewing requires an experimental version of Google Chrome / Chromium with WebVR support. Firefox Nightly builds should also work soon, but have not yet updated to the most recent WebVR API. You can check browser status and progress at Is WebVR Ready?

Download and install a compatible browser. Go to about://flags and turn on the “Enable WebVR” flag. Then, just start VR mode on any Sketchfab model page. Now you can view the model with your Vive or Oculus!

Navigation

Click the viewer once to put it in focus. Then you can navigate the model with WASD keys and change the scale of the model with the O and P keys.

Check out some great content galleries in VR like Museums or Popular.