Internet Explorer on Xbox One does more than 'just work,' says Microsoft

sincity · November 15, 2013

The Xbox One's version of Internet Explorer doesn't "just work," Microsoft revealed today.

That means it's not merely functional, but much better than that, according to a blog post posted by Microsoft Creative Technologist and Senior Product Manager Bryan Saftler.

"The sites you love on the web do more than just work in Internet Explorer for Xbox One," Saftler wrote.

"Because we built Internet Explorer for Xbox One with support for modern web standards like HTML5 and CSS3, your favorite sites are going to look amazing on a television."

Just browsing

Saftler also detailed the ways users can interact with the Xbox One's browser. Apparently gesture controls using the new Kinect, voice commands, an Xbox one controller, or a tablet with the Xbox SmartGlass app will all work.

In addition, the new Internet Explorer for Xbox One has 200 percent better support for modern web standards over the Xbox 360's browser, the blog post said.

And important browser features like website pinning, tabs, private browsing, SmartScreen, Cookie blocking, and Do Not Track mode will be present in the new browser as well.

"Finally, any pinned sites or favorites you saved in Internet Explorer on your Xbox 360 will be pulled forward to your Xbox One," Saftler wrote.

A better experience

It sounds like Kinect and SmartGlass will make browsing the web on Xbox One a whole lot easier than it was on Xbox 360.

You can even easily move websites back and forth between the TV and a tablet, according to today's blog post.

And the Xbox One's ability to "snap" applications to one side of the screen means you can browse the web easily without closing your game, a very cool feature that could be great once we get used to it.

Microsoft has some useful tips for web designers who want to make sure users get the best experience on their sites on Xbox One, so head over to the full blog post if that's you.

You can also win an Xbox One and a year's subscription to Xbox Live Gold if you tweet at Microsoft's @IE handle with the hashtag #IEonXboxOne and tell them what you're excited about in Internet Explorer for Xbox One.