Intent to Continue Experimenting: WebXR Device API

[Sam Drazin]

Contact emails

baj...@chromium.org, samd...@chromium.org, mlam...@chromium.org, alco...@chromium.org 

Spec

WebXR Device API: https://immersive-web.github.io/webxr / (explainer) 

Gamepads Module: https://immersive-web.github.io/webxr-gamepads-module/ (recently separated into a module)

Summary

An Origin Trial for the WebXR Device AP started in Chrome 76 and is scheduled to end in Chrome 77 (the original I2E can be found here). The findings as of now from that Origin Trial are summarized in this document. As of M78, we will not be ready to ship, but still would like feedback from developers. We intend to extend this origin trial through Chrome 78 for this one additional milestone, after which we will ship to Stable.

Link to “Intent to Implement” blink-dev discussion

https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/topic/blink-dev/XMLgC_SR0dw/discussion

Note: The “Revised WebVR API” (aka WebVR 2.0) referenced in that thread was renamed WebXR Device API several months later.

Goals for experimentation

New areas of experimentation in this extended origin trial will focus on the following new features/areas where the code has changed:

• Consent flow - updated strings and prompt logic, and how this impacts end user interaction/grant/abort rates

• Required vs. optional features - this is a new addition, how do developers utilize this feature

In addition to these new areas, we would like to continue collecting feedback which we originally sought from our previous origin trial, which covered API changes such as:

• Overall API shape

• Input: general feedback on integration of the Gamepad API

• Spatial tracking: clarity and intuitiveness of current spec & API choices

Experimental timeline

Enabled :

• 05 SEP 2019 : Chrome 78 branch to Dev

• 22 SEP 2019 : Chrome 78 Stable Release*

Disabled :

• 17 OCT 2019 : Chrome 79 branch to Dev

• 27 NOV 2019 (2w prior to 10 DEC 2019 : Chrome 79 Stable Release)*

*Stable dates are estimates: https://chromiumdash.appspot.com/schedule.

Any risks when the experiment finishes?

Unless the API transitions to stable, sites will lose the ability to interact with VR hardware. Given that hardware availability is limited, we are encouraging developers to write responsive content that can account for its absence, but anything that relies on VR features would stop working.  Our plan is to ship enabled by default in stable in the next milestone (Chrome 79), after the necessary API outage. 

Reason this experiment is being extended

Previous I2E: https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msg/blink-dev/nlMUxXEqMgg/fmiVVcKqAwAJ

As of M78, we will not be ready to ship but still would like feedback from developers.  We want developers that are using the API in production to have a path to continue their experimentation and keep their sites live. For this reason, the flag alone will not be enough.

We have been communicating to developers that a part of the origin trial process is a necessary API outage.  This doc (reviewed by origin-trials-core@) has been distributed in all of our public communications.  We have set the expectation that an outage of the API before shipping is necessary. We would like to minimize the API outage as much as possible, and extending the origin trial to continue through Chrome 78 will achieve this goal.

Ongoing technical constraints

None

Will this feature be supported on all five Blink platforms supported by Origin Trials (Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome OS, and Android)?

Yes, the API and inline sessions will be available on all platforms. Support for head-mounted displays and thus true VR depends on platform support. Currently, Chrome supports Android and Windows. Poses for inline sessions also depends on access to sensors, and support is currently limited to Android. 

Link to entry on the feature dashboard

https://www.chromestatus.com/feature/5680169905815552

[Sam Drazin]

API owners,

Please let me know if there is anything else I can provide to this intent.  My team is eager to extend this origin trial, and would appreciate the review/sign-off!

Thanks,

-Sam

[Daniel Bratell]

Looks like Chris marked this as lgtm in the tracking list at https://bit.ly/blinkintents/ during our last API Owner meeting. I can't recall if that was a marking mistake or if we just forgot to inform you about the decision. Chris, it was intentional, right?

(The history view in that google sheets takes minutes to do some operations (like "page down") - poke Google)

/Daniel

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[Chris Harrelson]

I'm not sure. WebXR team: sorry about the mishap.

However, I reviewed the intent just now and it seems fine to me! Thank you in particular for writing up findings from the first OT.

LGTM

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msgid/blink-dev/op.z7nepuxqrbppqq%40cicero2.linkoping.osa.

[Sam Drazin]

Much appreciated, and our pleasure. Thanks!

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