Microsoft Edge is bringing web browsing to Xbox, but don’t get too excited yet
Microsoft Edge could change the perception of console web browsers
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Microsofthas published an early access version of Edge, its Chromium-basedweb browser, for Xbox consoles.
The company’s flagship browser is available on Xbox One andSeries X/S consoles, but only to members of the invite-only Alpha Skip-Ahead group, which receives all the most experimental Xbox OS updates in advance.
Although the early build is said to be quite buggy, the arrival of a Chromium-based browser for Xbox consoles could yield a number of benefits, such as support for cloud gaming platformGoogleStadia, browser-based games and other web apps.
Microsoft Edge on Xbox
Browsing the web on video game consoles has always been a chore, with developers struggling to find a solution to the inconvenience of using a controller to move the cursor and type.
While the Edge preview for Xbox does not offer support for mouse and keyboard, Microsoft will hope a smarter, snappier browser might change how users feel about accessing the web on their consoles.
According to reports, the test version includes many of the qualities that have allowed Edge to snatch up a modest but respectable3.41% of the browser marketsince it launched a year ago, including extension support, vertical tabs and cross-device synchronization.
Updates available to Alpha Skip-Ahead members do not traditionally arrive in public builds until extensive testing has taken place, which means a fully fledged version of Edge for Xbox won’t land for some time yet.
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However, console owners that consider web browsing an important factor can relax in the knowledge that work is underway and Edge will also set Microsoft’s consoles apart from thePlaystation 5, which does not currently offer a web browser of any kind.
ViaThe Verge
Joel Khalili is the News and Features Editor at TechRadar Pro, covering cybersecurity, data privacy, cloud, AI, blockchain, internet infrastructure, 5G, data storage and computing. He’s responsible for curating our news content, as well as commissioning and producing features on the technologies that are transforming the way the world does business.
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