Starting today, Second Life residents can help us test access to Second Life directly through the browser, with no download or GPU required.  Initial testing will use the standard viewer UI, but in the next phase of work we will dramatically simplify the user interface, with the overall goal of greatly improving the accessibility of Second Life for a larger audience.     

How to Participate:

• New Residents: Beginning next week, a fraction of new registrants will be randomly selected to experience their first Second Life session through their browser during the sign-up process.
• Existing Residents: You can try the new browser-based experience for yourself by visiting zero.secondlife.com.  During our test phase, the web version of Second Life is not meant to serve as a replacement for your desktop Viewer or mobile app. We are still in early experimental development of this project, so please note that capacity is limited, and wait times may occur. Session durations will be time-restricted during this phase.

Important Notes for Current Residents:

• No Changes to Existing Viewers: The downloadable Second Life Viewer and popular Third-Party Viewers (like Firestorm) will continue to be fully supported. This browser-based initiative is an addition to existing platforms, not a replacement.
• Testing in Progress: While we encourage you to explore the browser-based version, we kindly ask that you avoid creating new accounts just to access this feature, as this may skew our testing data.
• Known Issues:  For the initial release of this browser-based Viewer, you cannot upload files, voice chat is not yet enabled, and chat history and preferences are not stored across sessions. However, we do plan to address some of these limitations in future updates.
• Give Feedback: Your feedback will help us in the design process. For this first phase, we are most interested in finding any failure cases where you are unable to connect at all. 
• Forum Post: Join the conversation in our designated forum post for this topic.  

‘Project Zero’

Our internal name for this initiative is ‘Project Zero’, because our goal is to reduce to zero the barriers to getting into Second Life:  the system requirements, the possibility of not being able to install or crashing, and the many barriers present to getting accustomed to the interface.  

Roadmap

To make Second Life accessible to a larger audience, we will begin by using cloud-based servers to render the world, adding a simplified, modern UI built from web components.  We will start with basic UI elements like chat and navigation, using design patterns similar to those we are using in the mobile client.  Then, working closely with Second Life content developers, we will re-write the most difficult components, such as HUDs and editing your avatar.  The final experience will be a dramatically simpler and more accessible UX, without reducing the full richness of experiencing the world.  Server-side rendering and streaming means we can increase frame rates without reducing graphic quality, while reducing and ultimately eliminating crashing and other bugs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wasn’t streaming tried in the past?   
Yes, a couple of times. However, the price/performance for the underlying streaming technology and service has changed greatly in the last couple years – partially because of the rise of AI and GPUs in the cloud. It is now possible to stream pixel-perfect 1080p with no detectable lag. As part of this experiment, we will be closely monitoring operational costs in relation to its positive impact on growth and retention for return on investment. 

Isn’t streaming too expensive?  
Yes, it is still pretty expensive, which is partly why there are limits on access right now.  But we believe that prices will continue to rapidly decline, aided in part by the interest in GPUs driven by AI projects.  SL is unique in both being very graphically rich, as well as being used by a lot of non-gamers with older PCs.  We think streaming could help bridge that gap.  

What does this mean for Firestorm and other Third-Party Viewers?  
No changes:  We aren’t changing anything with Third-Party Viewers, who remain an important and preferred way for the majority of residents to access Second Life.  We may also partner with third party viewers to experiment with streaming their versions as well.  

Do you need a fast internet connection?  
Anyone who can watch Netflix can use Second Life in the browser. And, as mentioned above, you can still access Second Life from the official or third party viewers. 

Will it work on mobile? 
No.  This project is designed for laptop and desktop access, but without the need for a download, fast CPU, or graphics card.  The streaming technology might be adapted for future mobile use, but not right now.  The SL Mobile Client is available on iOS and Google Play stores.   

What about shopping?  
In the first phase, there will be no changes to the shopping experience in Second Life. As we complete the second phase of UX changes, we will include avatar dressing, HUDs, and shopping, working closely with SL content developers.

What about avatar customization?  
Initially there will be no change, but we will start modernizing UX elements and we probably won’t get to avatar customization in Q1.  We are certain that in the long-term, there are needed changes and improvements. 

Will you charge for this in the future?   
Hopefully not.  We’ve not figured out the costs yet. 

Have A Great Weekend And don’t forget to check out The Nocturne Project  Taking waiting list spots now!