Second Life Browser Based Access – Project Zero

Waking up at 4 am for a Bloggers & Lindens Zoom call this morning was one thing, but having my New Year world blown by the announcement that Linden Lab is launching a testing phase for the new browser-based access to Second Life (article and important links here) was something else entirely! We were invited to test it—a ten-minute sneak peek at what the rest of Second Life would experience after the meeting.

It was a fantastic experience! Right out of the gate, being able to load myself, my rather robust inventory, and the world around me in just over a minute was amazing.

This isn’t a mobile substitute, but the accessibility is incredible. I’m seriously considering buying a basic laptop just to take advantage of this option on the go, as it doesn’t require bells and whistles to run. One major perk is that there’s no download or GPU required—it’s instant! The PBR visuals are stunning, and everything loads seamlessly.

To put it to the test, I visited a large event (FaMESHed on opening day) with at least 40+ avatars present. Everything, from the avatars to the vendor images and build, loaded beautifully in about two minutes. I then teleported to Shop and Hop. Although it wasn’t as busy, it’s still a lot to load. Yet again, everything came through quickly. I even tested the editing tools in my booth, and they worked as expected.

Currently, uploading isn’t possible, and the browser version doesn’t save cached chat files. This means IMs won’t save to your hard drive as they would on the regular viewer, so if that’s important to you, ensure you save anything you need before logging off. For a ten-minute testing session, this wasn’t a concern, but it’s something to keep in mind.

For users on PCs or laptops, nearly everything you’d expect from a regular client is here. However, it’s limited to the official Second Life viewer for now. Philip mentioned they plan to approach third-party viewer developers, which could open up more options. For now, there’s no RLV, no derender, and group chats that you may have muted in other viewers will suddenly come alive. Even so, this browser-based option has incredible potential.

Personally, I’m excited about the multitasking possibilities. I often need to have my alt logged in for testing while running Photoshop, Substance, and Blender. If I can use the browser version for my alt while keeping my main on the regular viewer, it’ll significantly ease my computer’s load.

This also opens up opportunities for users in shared environments, workplaces (naughty naughty—back in my day, we couldn’t even take personal calls!), or places like internet cafés or libraries. Imagine accessing Second Life without needing to install software—just log in and go!

I encourage everyone to give this a try, especially if you’ve got an older PC or laptop struggling with PBR or a machine you’ve retired. Testing this could breathe new life into those devices, which is exciting! Share your feedback and help shape this fantastic new feature. They will start testing it through some new residents accessing Second Life for the first time in the coming weeks, and many more things to come, the article provides information as well as links where you can share your experiences with others, and report any potential bugs you may have come across. I think that this as a starting point, is amazing, and adding to this over time is going to just enhance the experience, what a New Year surprise for us all.
Check out Inara Pey’s article in more depth here.

Equipment Used

VR Studio and HUD/Library – VR Foundry Marketplace

LeLutka Axis HUD Face – LeLutka

Important: Moles featured on face or body unless otherwise stated are created by me, for me personally. If wearing moles or freckles etc layers by other creators they will always be credited. As my face moles are the same always, it will be clear to know it is mine not part of the skin.

Body Parts

Body :

Reborn – EBody

Head:

Genus Morph Head – Genus
Straight – NoseMorph
Natural Pierced – Lipmorph
Round – EyeMorph
Triangle – HeadMorph

Appliers:

Nail appliers – Flair – Marketplace

Skin Worn:

Emma Skin (face), Rhea Body Skin – Nuve Mainstore

Head and Body BOM Layers:

Peaceful eyes – Insol Mainstore

Cotton Bra and Panties, Willow Eyebrows– Nuve Mainstore