  There is a clear difference in runtime performance between native
applications that use augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) device-specific
hardware and comparable web-based implementations. Here we show that
WebAssembly (Wasm) offers a promising developer solution that can bring
near-native low latency performance to web-based applications, enabling
hardware-agnostic interoperability at scale through portable bytecode that runs
on any WiFi or cellular data network-enabled AR/VR device. Many software
application areas have begun to realize Wasm's potential as a key enabling
technology, but it has yet to establish a robust presence in the AR/VR domain.
When considering the limitations of current web-based AR/VR development
technologies such as WebXR, which provides an existing application programming
interface (API) that enables AR/VR capabilities for web-based programs, Wasm
can resolve critical issues faced with just-in-time (JIT) compilation, slow
run-times, large file sizes and big data, among other challenges. Existing
applications using Wasm-based WebXR are sparse but growing, and the potential
for porting native applications to use this emerging framework will benefit the
web-based AR/VR application space and bring it closer to its native
counterparts in terms of performance. Taken together, this kind of standardized
"write-once-deploy-everywhere" software framework for AR/VR applications has
the potential to consolidate user experiences across different head-mounted
displays and other compatible hardware devices to ultimately create an
interoperable AR/VR ecosystem.
