You can view any 3D model in Virtual Reality using a VR headset (such as the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift) and a compatible browser.
Setup Instructions
Google Chrome is currently the most reliable browser to use for VR in most circumstances. These instructions are for Chrome on Windows 10.
- Install Steam and SteamVR
- In Chrome/Chromium, go to chrome://flags and set these flags to these values:
- WebXR Device API: Enabled
- Force WebXR Runtime: SteamVR (OpenVR)
Viewing Instructions
- Turn on your device
- HTC Vive: Turn on SteamVR
- Oculus Rift: Allow external apps
- Start VR Mode on any Sketchfab model page.
Compatibility
The web browser you need to use to view models in VR depends on the headset you're using.
Browsers marked by an asterisk (*) should work, but may be less reliable.
| Device | Browser(s) |
| Oculus Rift |
Chrome, Firefox* |
| HTC Vive |
Chrome, Firefox* |
| Windows Mixed Reality |
Chrome, Firefox* |
| Oculus Quest | Oculus Browser |
| Windows Mixed Reality | Edge |
Adjusting resolution
Sketchfab reduces resolution to ensure a frame rate for a good VR experience. If you want to bypass this reduction, particularly in Oculus Quest, you can use these custom parameters at the end of your model's URL:
/embed?&vr_quality=1.5
- 1.5 medium (default)
- 2.5 high
- 3.5 very high
Need more help? Try asking in the Forum.
Comments
109 comments
Hi James - Are there more detailed instructions for how to get web-based viewing working on Google Chrome and SteamVR/HTC VIVE anywhere? Recent versions of Chrome on Windows 10 state that they support WebVR; I turned on the enable-webvr flag in Chrome's flags and restarted the browser, and when I click on the icon to view a model in VR all that happens is that the lighting and background color of the rendered image change -- nothing special happens in the headset, which just stays displaying whatever it was displaying before. I'm not seeing anything special appear in the console in developer tools when I do this, either.
@patricknelson Sorry about that! For Help Center notifications, you can go to the "Help Subscriptions" link in the user menu at the top right of this page.
@geogan @Michael.Goans - I couldn't reproduce this issue with Firefox 55 + Windows 10 + Oculus. When you click the VR button on a model, the browser viewer should go blank and it will only be visible in the headset. Do you see any errors in the developer console? https://help.sketchfab.com/hc/en-us/articles/204934135-JavaScript-Console
I'm very disappointed ! I bought an oculus to present my scans uploaded on sketchfab and it does not work at all.
On the WebVr version of Chromium, as MantaT said ("it doesn't work on chromium (shows skechfabs page as if it wouldn't have css - just plane text. and no model) 56.0.2902.0 version. chrome://flags/ vr - on") the sketchfab site just does not display correctly.. I tried with other sites and they all worked.
What is the problem with Sketchfab ? is their another site were we can upload our scans to present them in vr (vr.. real on, with a headset, not a smartphone) ?
thanks...
It is really an urgent problem for me I need to solve asap.
Hmm ok. Seems like a Firefox performance issue then. And yes, WebVR still hasn't made it to the public versions of Chrome yet. I'll find a Windows 7 machine to test.
It's okay. I just used Firefox instead of Chrome. Worked by default.
Hello everyone, the last trick to adjust resolution seems not working anymore, right?
Is it still possible to adjust resolution on Quest 2? Is it very important for a project I'm following, thank you
Hello,
You can use the `vr_quality` paramter. I've updated this page.
Great! :D
Hi I have a question about this, so I have a google cardboard setup and a Samsung s10 but when I open google chrome but when I click on the link to view vr it doesn't go fullscreen, and when I do trigger the vr mode it stays static while on the other mode that doesn't go fuscreen you can move and it looks better. Also on the spp it doesn't seem to work vr
@geogan yes i did. Cromium - Version 61.0.3163.100 (Official Build) (64-bit). Result - get a vr compatible browser.. :(
@mantasT it's this version I used but its buggy with no installer just a zip extractor and for some reason now I can't even run the browser - keeps saying "js.dll" missing even though that lib is not in the zip and the browser ran fine last week. TROJAN REMOVED DOMAIN
Hi @cderolin
It's not possible yet, but we're planning on it!
WARNING! It appears that both "https://webvr.rocks" and "https://webvr.info/" sites are up to NO good. That Chromium ZIP download from BOTH domains contains two DLL files both containing a "severe" level Trojan "Trojan:win32/Azden.A!cl".
Category: Trojan
Description: This program is dangerous and executes commands from an attacker.
Recommended action: Remove this software immediately.
That's why I can't get that Chromium to run any more, because Microsoft Security Essentials is scanning and deleting the "js.dll" file. It also says the trojan is in the "domain_reliability.dll" file. Looks like someone up to no good is using the open source Chromium software to insert their own trojan and hopes to distribute it to people wanting to do webVR
Also that "webvr.rocks" domain is registered to some dodgy company in Panama FFS... "webvr.info" is another shell company in Toronto called "Contact Privacy Inc."
Hello,
As above, we think this is an issue on Chrome's end. The workaround is here: https://forum.sketchfab.com/t/error-in-latest-version-of-chromium/11755
Does not bloody well open up AT ALL in Oculus. Just changes to double view in preview window on browser and i can see them moving when I move the headset. But in headset it just shows a Firefox icon and says "please wait" forever.
@James I had the latest Firefox 55 but when that did the same thing I tried the beta channel Firefox 56.0b11 (64-bit) and that is the same as well. Using Windows 7 Pro SP1 64bit. If it is working right is the two stereo images you see in the browser supposed to show up in the Oculus distorted circular type view? Because they don't either. And it doesn't even work in Google Chrome either.
@geogan and thanks for commenting. btw i am on win 10 enterprise ltbs
Glad to hear it :D
Alright @James, I'm intrigued. I retried WebVR on my Note3 tonight and it worked without touching the screen which is great. But pitch was inverted O.O
Hello,
The team at Microsoft was working on something internally, but we have not heard anything about it lately.
@geogan today is a good day - everything works :) for now... So what i tried doing is updating nvdia drivers. i went from 382.53 to newest 385.69 as a result oculus hmd went black. (i already had this) so after completely removing nvidia drivers and reinstalling them 3 times i went to 385.41 and now your recommended chrome version works with sketchfab. Thanks for the link.
@James well still nothing works. Where do i get dec 23 version? Sometimes I find builds with just numbered version, sometimes with dates.. its just a mess. on the current version of chromium web vr doesn't exist in flags... so nothing to enable.. though the plain text issue seems to be gone. The build that I find in this page - 56.0.2902.0 does allow me to enable webvr. but when i try to see any model in vr pop up tells be that i need to get a browser that supports webvr - and shows a link to this same page..
@patricknelson - Thanks, fixed!
@James - James, did the question below you asked 3 yrs ago (about HoloLens use) within this thread ever get answered? i.e. I have been searching the pages within this thread for the posted question, but was unable to locate.
@James It does work in Firefox Nightly, sort of. FF crashed when I hit the menu button on one of the Vive controllers, and I had to restart it. After I got back in, none of the buttons on the controllers did anything. But I was able to view models.
@James So last time i tried this build - pop up told me i need compatible web vr browser. (with flags enabled) now it doesn't load the model (any model in skechfab) the progress bar appears but doesn't move at all. Is it only for me that it doesn't work? might be it has to do with 64 bit win? but all computers are 64 these days.. win 10 ? cannot figure out whats the problem. And thanks for your help.
Hi, I was wondering if you've had any luck in creating a native app for the Gear VR yet? Thanks!
Hello,
The Quest (and especially the Quest 2) seem to be reliable and have good rendering quality and performance right now.
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