Mozilla has finally launched Firefox 22.0, bringing BananaBread goodness to the masses. The company pointed this out in a blog on Tuesday, reporting that this latest stable release delivers HTML5-based 3D gaming, video calls and file sharing to the web – no annoying plugins or third-party software needed. Oh, did we mention it supports Epic's Unreal Engine 3 too?
"It’s pretty amazing to see JavaScript perform at near native speed. Now developers have a low-cost solution to bring high performance games and applications to the Web with technologies like JavaScript, Emscripten and WebGL," the company said regarding a recent demo using Epic's third-generation engine.
According to the release notes, WebRTC is turned on by default, the protocol that enables HTML5 apps with built-in video and audio calling capabilities, and client-free file sharing. The updated browser also includes support for Mozilla's asm.js JavaScript subset that offers near-native performance for web-based apps. This is big news, as these two features could change the way developers create web apps across the board.
"Mozilla described a supercharged subset of JavaScript (asm.js) that enables developers to create high-intensity applications, like 3D games and photo processing, directly on the Web without having to install additional software or use plugins," the company said. "Using the Emscripten cross-compiler, which can emit asm.js, it is possible to bring high-performance native applications, like games, to the Web."
The release notes also show that Firefox now follows display scaling options to render text larger on high-resolution displays. HTML5 audio/video playback rate can now be changed, and social services management has been implemented in the Add-ons Manager. Asm.js optimizations have been enabled for major performance improvements, the company said.
"Mozilla is pushing the boundaries for what is possible on the Web today and proving the Web is the best development platform with advancements like these that improve interoperability and end fragmentation," the company said. "We created BananaBread as a game demo built using all of these Web technologies Mozilla pioneered, including WebGL, Emscripten, asm.js and WebRTC, to show how you can deliver high-end 3D multiplayer games while still maintaining a fast and stunning experience."
The latest Firefox browser can be downloaded here.
