Developers had been limited to using older EdgeHTML technology for Xbox. However, Microsoft has answered developers' pleas by launching WebView2 for Xbox, a highly anticipated feature that aims to enhance performance and provide a more sophisticated remote debugging experience.
(Photo : Microsoft Edge Blog)
Support for Microsoft Edge WebView2 on Xbox has been a top ask from our WebView2 and Xbox media app developers, and we’re happy to announce that WebView2 is now available on Xbox too!.
Enhancing Users Experience
Microsoft has granted Xbox app developers the capability to harness the Chromium-based Edge rendering engine. According to Pure Xbox, this marks a significant improvement for their apps.
The integration of Microsoft Edge's WebView2 on Xbox opens up opportunities for developers to incorporate cutting-edge web technologies, thereby enhancing the overall performance of Xbox media apps. This development has been eagerly anticipated, and it is the culmination of months of previewing and user requests.
Notably, the STARZ streaming app is among the first to embrace WebView2 on Xbox, and the community eagerly anticipates further integration of this technology into various media apps and lightweight games on the Xbox platform in the near future.
Leading to Improvements
Xbox users enjoy both gaming and media content consumption, and the introduction of WebView2 support on Xbox brings significant advantages to media app developers. It allows them to transition from the older EdgeHTML WebView, leading to improvements like support for modern web features.
This enhancement empowers Xbox app developers to utilize contemporary web APIs within their applications, ultimately enhancing performance and providing an improved remote debugging experience.
This introduction of WebView2 on Xbox has already seen positive outcomes with apps like Microsoft MakeCode and STARZ making use of this feature. For instance, Microsoft MakeCode, a free online learning platform for coding, now employs WebView2 for Xbox applications, including the MakeCode Arcade Kiosk app.
The future holds promise for the development of more innovative Xbox apps, with a modern embedded browser control offering creative possibilities within this platform. "We're excited to see more apps built on Xbox and see what you can do with a modern embedded browser control on this platform," Microsoft stated on its Edge Blog.
Also Read: Microsoft Edge Rolls Out New Homepage for Xbox Cloud Gaming
Xbox users have been enjoying the Chromium version of Edge for a while now, but developers faced limitations as they had to work with the older Edge version in the background.
The Verge reported that the recent introduction of Microsoft Edge WebView2 marks a significant shift, as it adopts the Chromium-based Edge rendering engine, replacing the aging EdgeHTML browser engine.
With the WebView2 control now available, developers have the ability to incorporate web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript directly into Xbox apps. This expansion in capabilities hints at the possibility of a growing library of HTML5 games making their way to the Xbox platform.
Microsoft has already taken the initiative by creating a MakeCode app that features embedded games, made possible by the WebView2 control.
Related Article: New Microsoft Edge Browser is Coming to Xbox Series X/S, One: Google Stadia Access, Discord Chat, and MORE
