New Microsoft Edge hits Xbox One, Series X/S with latest Insider update
The new and improved Microsoft Edge hits Xbox consoles for select testers.
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What you need to know
Microsoft has debuted its all-newMicrosoft Edgebrowser on Xbox consoles, providing a long-awaited refresh to the web experience on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S devices. The new and improved Edge saw its PC overhaul last year, stemming fromplans unveiled in 2018to rebrand and rebuild the app. It’s currently available to a subset of Xbox Insiders and on track to replace the aging legacy Microsoft Edge widely available today.
The new Microsoft Edge delivers a new look and feel, switching the inbuilt browser from EdgeHTML to one based on the open-source Chromium Project. The engine changes hugely improve compatibility and usability in most instances while also adding new features previously unavailable with the now-abandoned legacy Edge browser. Its Xbox arrival marks the latest expansion of the app, available for testing through the bleeding-edge Alpha Skip Ahead ring, which provides the earliest access to future updates.
Microsoft Edge returns with all the core benefits and features seen with previous platforms, albeit fine-tuned for Xbox and living room usage. The user interface comes tuned around controller input, with mouse and keyboard support currently absent. Skip Ahead testers who install the latest Xbox system update will automatically find the new Edge in their apps library.
The new Microsoft Edge hits Xbox with an important end-of-support date fast approaching the legacy Microsoft Edge desktop app. The company hopes to transition users to the latest app by March 9, 2021, at which point legacy Edge security updates will be discontinued.
While infrequent among countless games and apps, web browsing remains crucial to Xbox consoles. The new update looks poised to keep its current Xbox family updated with the latest available version of the browser, headed into the latest Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S generation.
Xbox Series X/S
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Matt Brown was formerly a Windows Central’s Senior Editor, Xbox & PC, at Future. Following over seven years of professional consumer technology and gaming coverage, he’s focused on the world of Microsoft’s gaming efforts. You can follow him on Twitter@mattjbrown.
