Firefox Coming To PS3?
Are sony finally getting rid of that horrible Netfront browser?Published 18/11/2009 at 22:51 by nofi
I remember the internet when the only browser you had was Lynx: text based – no images, no CSS, no Flash – and lightning fast. These days Microsoft’s Internet Explorer might be the world’s most popular browser in terms of users, but it’s Firefox that’s generally thought to be the quickest, most stable browser, and according to rumours this evening, Sony are about to ditch Netfront, the appalling thing that’s embedded into the PS3’s (and PSP’s) XMB for the Mozilla branded software.
This is a good thing. Netfront’s support for modern standards is minimal, and the PS3 really should be offering more in the way of a decent browser. Whether or not there’s any ground to these rumours, of course, is anyone’s guess.
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cubehouse | 18/11/2009 22:53
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42 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
Yes Please!
Making a website work on the PS3 can be absolute hell – would be a very sensible move for the web browser, take a lot of work to port it, but would be well worth it for a much more fluent browser experience
cam the man | 19/11/2009 12:12
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2069 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
I agree. The Firefox browser, in my opinion, is the best.
Matherz | 19/11/2009 13:31
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Really hope this becomes reality, would mean average jo wouldn’t need a pc as the PS3 would then do most things the average computer does (in the eyes of average joe anyways)
DaveyJam | 18/11/2009 22:54
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Hope so!
Kaizer83 | 18/11/2009 22:54
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This is good news although i use opera on my PC, Maybe time to switch as the ability to sync bookmarks etc from PC to PS3 would be cool
mynameisblair | 18/11/2009 22:58
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3876 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
Best. News. Ever.
Firefox is my favourite piece of Software ever!
Would be amazing if you could get all the add ons on your PS3… echofon etc.
SOON?! PLEASE SOON?!
So happy.
davidjmclare | 19/11/2009 03:56
always on easy
1094 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
out of interest… does TSA work on PS3? (id check but too busy watching SAW)
X201 | 19/11/2009 10:43
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324 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
yep. The problem one for me is Kotaku – I have to do a manual refresh whenever I load it or it will only display headlines from the last time I visited the site.
gazzagb | 18/11/2009 22:59
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2760 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
Yes! This is great news, the ps3 browser is so unstable, it constantly crashes and hasnt got up-to-date flash, java etc. Hopefully with the FF browser, you can update all this plug-ins (if the rumours are true)
Matherz | 19/11/2009 13:37
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127 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
The browser has been a nightmare, in general tbh, was way too unstable and with every ps3 update i would wonder if the sites i went to would still work or start working.
Facebook was a bit of a hit or miss, although I’m now aware that they’ve made an app for this on the ps3 it would be nice to have a fully functional web browser.
Lanselta | 18/11/2009 23:02
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A step in the right direction, but will Sony allow Microsoft plugins like Silverlight and the such.
colmshan1990 | 18/11/2009 23:06
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This is bigger than the Video Store.
andytorr | 18/11/2009 23:28
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567 TSA Points | Member since: Sep 2008
I agree! I love FF
please PLEASE PLEASE SONY
FluBBa | 18/11/2009 23:06
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120 TSA Points | Member since: Nov 2009
I can not for my life see FF replace Netfronts browser completely as it should be able run from within games (Burnout, Pain, Home etc.) and I find it more likely that they would choose Opera as it’s closed source and easier to licence (Sony doesn’t want to give back their port to the open source community).
TheDeathAvenger | 18/11/2009 23:08
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1653 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
That would be amazing! I love that the PS3 has a web browser, but have been hoping that it would get massively improved as it can be pretty restrictive. This would be a massive improvement, so here’s hoping.
haz360 | 18/11/2009 23:10
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Really hope this is true. Firefox is brilliant and it can only make the already brilliant PS3 even more brilliant. Brilliant! (And that word has now lost all meaning).
Firewarrior706 | 18/11/2009 23:17
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352 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2008
Adjective
brilliant (comparative more brilliant, superlative most brilliant)
shining brightly
the brilliant lights along the promenade
(of a colour) both light and saturated
butterflies with brilliant blue wings
(of a voice or sound) having a sharp, clear tone
of surpassing excellence (primarily UK usage)
The actor’s performance in the play was simply brilliant.
magnificent or wonderful (primarily UK usage)
highly intelligent
She is a brilliant scientist.
There you go
CaptainMurdo | 18/11/2009 23:15
Team TSA: Writer
1866 TSA Points | Member since: Sep 2008
I use Chrome and it’s excellent but not fully supported yet. Would be good to have the choice on the PS3.
cheekyMcB | 18/11/2009 23:31
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729 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
Ditto that (See what I wrote as posts down).
Addam | 18/11/2009 23:32
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281 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
Agreed. I’d much rather have Chrome – it’s simpler, neater and tidier – I feel it’d suit the console better than Firefox which just seem cumbersome to me nowadays.
madmatt95 | 19/11/2009 00:08
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I agree i chromes my favourite and arn’t Sony and google in a partnership, so it’s possible
deepmenace | 19/11/2009 09:35
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yep definately – also, it’d be good to be in bed with google i reckon, using their browser would be a good first step.
paxpacis | 19/11/2009 11:39
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You would think they looked into (google) Chrome because they already have google search and the special youtube channel.. (that also needs ’some’ work..) instead of Firefox..
Anyway.. Both could* be better..
(*please keep in mind the PS3 still got a memory problem for this kind of stuff.. Only 512mb shared half by the GPU. Using the very slow disk would get us back to the current browser issues..)
Ed the Penguin | 18/11/2009 23:24
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Frickin awesome! Now this one would be worthwhile!!
carlosfilippsen | 18/11/2009 23:26
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Yes please!! Firefox FTW!
cheekyMcB | 18/11/2009 23:29
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I’ve been a Firefox user from the start but it’s got more bloated and resource hogging in recent time.
On one of my machines it won’t even run at an acceptable speed now so on that piece of equipment I’ve been using Google Chrome. Now chrome is more limited and less flexible but it’s damn zippy. Given that we want as much resources available as possible on our PS3s so thy won’t slow down as new functions are added this should be one of the most important criteria. Given that Chrome isn’t open source it will as FluBBa above pointed out Sony are more likely to be happy to use it. The other alternative is Opera as Apple aren’t going to provide Safari any time soon.
FluBBa | 19/11/2009 10:56
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I haven’t read up on the licencing for Chrome/Chromium or Webkit/Safari, might be possible for Sony to use one of those as well, sounds more plausible than FF at least.
Alex_Assassin_08 | 18/11/2009 23:36
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I used to use Firefox, but I have to admit that Safari is my favorite user.
I’m using it now. Lightning fast, and the web page covers the whole page.
Just what I want from an internet browser.
MarkSawbo | 19/11/2009 01:13
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I agree. IMO Safari is the best browser these days no doubt.
davidjmclare | 19/11/2009 03:57
always on easy
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chrome and safari are top two, way ahead of firefox!
Joe | 19/11/2009 06:43
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yep, safari rocks my world.