Google is now testing displaying the 3D/AR or 360 product images on desktop. This was live for mobile search for a while but not Google is testing it on the desktop interface.
Brian Freiesleben spotted this on Twitter, and Glenn Gabe was able to replicate it, although, I have been trying for days to replicate it and I have failed.
Here is what it looks like:
Brian also made a video of it in action:
Brian wrote, Seeing the 3D badge on desktop now, which doesn't really make any sense IMO since you can't use the feature at all...unless the site has a 3D render you can pan on the site, but that's not really the same as AR "view in 3D" on mobile search."
The 3D interface makes sense on mobile but maybe with new Chrome features, it will also make sense on desktop too?
I wonder if it has anything to do with WebGPU, which shipped in Chrome 113: https://t.co/JC64mCfwqF
— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) May 17, 2023
Google first demonstrated view in 3D augmented reality images in the Google Search results back in 2019 and since then we have seen some retailers test it out and Google also use it for cute animals and other objects. But now it seems some core retailers, like Wayfair, is showing some of their products in 3D in Google Search.
Just a reminder, Google did come out with 3D/AR technical docs for developers but removed the docs and the program about a year later. A year ago, it seemed to expand in a big way.
Forum discussion at Twitter.
