What you need to know
- WebView2 app development support is now available for Xbox.
- This means app developers can use newer, Chromium-based Edge when making apps for Xbox consoles.
- This can translate to faster performance and better stability for players using apps.
- Not many apps available now use this new technology, but more will come over time.
Better app performance is on the way for Xbox players!
Microsoft shared on Wednesday that WebView2 development support is available, meaning that any app developers can take advantage of more recent Edge technology. Microsoft previously rolled out Chromium-based Edge support for better performance on Windows, but developers on Xbox still had to use the older EdgeHTML WebView technology.
Microsoft outlines that developers can now expect better performance and a better remote debugging experience. WebView2 allows developers to add HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code within an app. This can also make app development easier, as it allows developers to take a hybrid approach and reuse a lot of code when developing for an online experience through a computer browser as well as in an app.
While it's early days for WebView2 apps on Xbox, the STARZ entertainment app already uses the newer technology, with more to arrive as time goes on.
Why Chromium matters
Chromium is an open-source technology maintained by Google, with the code used in a number of web browsers and apps such as Microsoft Edge. Chromium also provides most of the source code for the proprietary Google Chrome browser, which layers in some additional features.
Analysis: Better performance is always appreciated
If you're like me and you use Netflix or Max to watch movies and shows — I just finished The Fall of the House of Usher, an absolutely excellent series — then you've had weird things happen, like an app crashing or being slow to load when you're browsing the available catalogue.
That's not fun, as no one wants to try relaxing on their Xbox Series X|S by watching something only to have the app crash in the middle of a pivotal scene. Hopefully, this new support means more stable apps that load faster and have less stability issues.
