Xbox console testing has begun for the new Chromium version of Edge, Microsoft's updated internet browser. This browser has had positive reviews on PC, and should provide support for Chromium. Microsoft has commenced public testing for its new Edge Chromium browser for Xbox, with testers in the Alpha Skip-Ahead group now able to access the new version of the Microsoft Edge browser on.

1. Edge Chromium For Xbox One
2. Xbox Edge Chromium App
3. Xbox Edge Chromium Download
4. Xbox Edge Chromium Review

Accessibility and ease of use are among the key things Microsoft has been focusing on providing Xbox users in recent times. From services like Xbox Game Pass and xCloud to new features on the Xbox mobile app, the company has taken plenty of steps to make the Xbox ecosystem more convenient to use in various ways. Case in point, it looks like Xbox users will receive a new and improved version of Microsoft’s web browser, Edge.

With most gamers more likely to use their phones to access the internet, built-in web browsers in game consoles tend to rank lower on the list of needed features, with consoles like the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 lacking an official browser altogether. Still, since 2015, Microsoft has provided Xbox One (and now Xbox Series X/S) owners with an Edge app that lets them surf the web without having to put down their controllers.

RELATED: Microsoft Reveals xCloud Streaming Service Browser UI

Six years later, the Xbox app has essentially remained the same, but a big change is on the horizon. According to Xbox Insiders in the program’s Alpha Skip-Ahead ring, a brand new app is available to download for testing, based on the Chromium version of the browser that debuted for Windows 10 PCs last year.

the latest Xbox Alpha skip ahead build includes the Chromium version of Microsoft Edge pic.twitter.com/C34d59UYuJ

— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) March 6, 2021

The general consensus among Insiders so far is that the new version is a definite improvement over the current app performance-wise. Some have even gone so far as to proclaim it better than other popular web browsers like Google Chrome. That being said, the new app is still in the testing phase, with Reddit user RazGunz stating that it doesn’t have mouse support at the moment and that “a lot of things that don't work yet.”

Despite the current shortcomings, word of mouth towards the early build has been very positive, which suggests that Microsoft is on the right track to offering an improved experience for Xbox users who prefer to browse the internet from their consoles. This follows the company adding Xbox-themed browser themes to Edge back in January, so at any rate, it’s further proof that Microsoft isn’t done mingling its web browser with the Xbox ecosystem just yet.

It’s not known, as of this writing, when the app might be ready to be released to the public, or what new features may be added to it. It seems safe to say, though, that Xbox users won’t likely be able to buy pirated Nintendo games from Edge’s extension store when it finally becomes available.

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Source: Reddit

Edge Chromium For Xbox One

The latest Alpha update for Xbox One and Series consoles updates the Microsoft Edge browser to the more recent version based on Google’s Chromium, and players have already found a way to run Stadia.

Xbox Edge Chromium App

Back in 2019, Microsoft relaunched its Edge browser, basing it on the work done by Google and other contributors to the Chromium open source project. Eventually, this move gave Windows 10 users a more compatible, stable, and frequently updated browser by default, versus the previous Edge, which used Microsoft’s own EdgeHTML browser engine.

As reported by The Verge, the latest Alpha Skip-Ahead build — an invitation-only preview of an update — for Xbox One and Series consoles are receiving the same Chromium-based Edge browser as seen on Windows, with a bit of improvements for browsing from a controller. For now, there’s no support for a full keyboard and mouse, leaving the Xbox controller to serve those purposes.

Beyond the standard benefits of using a Chromium-based browser, like improved compatibility with web apps, game streaming fans have already begun to dream of the possibilities of the new Edge on a gaming console. In fact, one Stadia fan, @billetviolet, managed to get into the Xbox Alpha Skip-Ahead and was able to play Cyberpunk 2077 in the new Chromium-based Edge.

Between the video itself and a larger discussion happening on the Stadia subreddit, we learn that you’ll need a Stadia Controller to play, as the connected Xbox Controller is serving as the keyboard and mouse for Chromium-based Edge rather than as a gamepad. That said, some reports indicate you need to actually disconnect the Xbox Controller for the Stadia Controller to be properly recognized as “player 1.”

Given the current requirement of a Wi-Fi-enabled controller, it seems only Stadia and Luna will be supported by Edge on Xbox in the short term, though Luna may need to lift some of its stricter device limitations first. Services like Xbox Game Pass’s xCloud streaming — which is set to get a web app soon — and GeForce Now that use your device’s controller will need to wait for Microsoft to tweak Edge to allow your Xbox controller to be properly used as a controller.

Xbox Edge Chromium Download

To sign up for the Alpha Skip-Ahead update, you’ll need to enroll in the Xbox Insiders Update Preview program and hope you’re sent an invitation to join the test. Otherwise, since this isn’t a preview of the “next” update for Xbox consoles, but instead a “future” update, it will be a few weeks, if not months, before the update to Chromium-based Edge arrives. As Verge notes, Microsoft is dropping support for the older version of Edge on Windows as of tomorrow, so hopefully it won’t be long before Xbox is brought up to date.

Xbox Edge Chromium Review

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