Microsoft has now granted Xbox app developers the permission to leverage the Chromium-powered version of Edge to enhance their applications. The support for Microsoft Edge’s WebView2 on Xbox is currently accessible, enabling developers of Xbox media apps to integrate cutting-edge web technologies and enhance overall performance.
Until now, the Xbox media app was sluggish and clunky so developers have been testing Chromium support for several months, and Microsoft notes that it has been a feature highly sought after by the community. Streaming app STARZ is among the first to implement WebView2, and other developers will incorporate this into their media apps and lightweight games on Xbox in the upcoming months.
Although Xbox owners have had access to the Chromium version of Edge for a while, developers were constrained to using the older version of Edge in the background. The recently introduced Microsoft Edge WebView2 control employs the rendering engine of Chromium-based Edge, diverging from Microsoft’s older EdgeHTML browser engine.
The WebView2 control facilitates the integration of web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript into Xbox apps, hinting at the likelihood of witnessing an influx of HTML5 games on the Xbox platform in the future. Microsoft has gone a step further by developing a MakeCode app that features embedded games, courtesy of the WebView2 control.
