X3D (Extensible 3D) is a 3D graphics specification that extends VRML97. Although the standard is not ratified yet, some proposals have been made and the
Web3D consortium is working hard to fulfil the demands for ratification.
As a next generation virtual reality modelling language, X3D will be backwards compatible with VRML97, which means that VRML97 content will be viewable using X3D technologies. The core of X3D will be a small subset of VRML97 nodes that can be extended to create new sets of nodes. This makes componentisation easy.

blaxxun Interactive, Shout Interactive, ParallelGraphics and IBM have released their own viewers for X3D Core content. These viewers (Blaxxun3D, Shout3D, Jet, HotMedia) are small applets that download automatically when a website visitor opens a page containing X3D content.
All the above-mentioned X3D technologies are based on proposals submitted to the Web3D consortium.

Examples of X3D technology are shown in the application gallery section.