Apparently Microsoft are going to expand on the slightly useless Bing tool on the 360 dashboard and bring in a full browsing experience. I say “full” because it’s Internet Explorer, so chances are it’ll be similar to the desktop version, but it’s better than nothing and almost certainly better than NetFront on the PS3. Yeah, I went there.
“Microsoft is currently testing a modified version of Internet Explorer 9 on its Xbox 360 console,” says The Verge. “We are told that the browser will let Xbox users surf all parts of the web straight from their living rooms.”
The site, citing Mr Source as normal – presumably the same one who leaked the $99 deal – says that Kinect Gestures are in there, along with voice control, although neither are mandatory. More details are expected at E3, where Microsoft is heavily rumoured to be throwing games out the window and focusing on – well – this.
Source: The Verge.
Phizzy
‘IE is better than X’ is always a hilarious joke. Good one.
Paranoimia
All the best jokes are based in truth! :-)
Personally, I think it’ll be amusing. IE is such a useless, slow, PITA browser that it’ll be funny seeing Kinect navigation trying to cope when people get frustrated and start flapping their arms around in a rage.
Sympo
Hmph, Xbox “Redtube”
DapperHayden007
you mean (xbox/internet explorer/google or bing/search/redtube – lol)
Sympo
Ugh is that what you need to say? feck it too much effort.
DapperHayden007
lol. Normally it will read the wrong words anyway. Kinect speech recognition is pretty terrible.
SH Number 7/Mini-Lipscombe
I’ve never had a problem with kinect speech recognition, only when I listen to podcast and it bings absolute random things, or while playing a game and it throws a grenade :|
Also can’t get it to do anything but shouts in Skyrim for some reason.
Mike
Amateur, it’s all about YouPorn ;)
Jakster123x
Actually, i regret to inform you that all the veterans are over at Pornhub. Sorry.
Mike
Oh yeah of course, slipped my mind ;) – god bless the internet!
HoboCastro
I have a girlfriend. :p
Tienpawa
Excuse me, but no, XNXX all the way!
philzy85
xhamster!!!!!! :P
KeRaSh
Youjizz or gtfo…
Shakugan
GUYS thank you for the sites! I’m no longer bored at watching the same RedTube videos.
HoboCastro
In it’s defense. IE is a lot better now and uses less RAM than Firefox. And a million times better than Netfront.
gazzagb
Even a potato is better than the PS3’s browser.
manicminer
The latest browser update on the PS3 is actually very good. It scores more in the HTML5 test than IE9 does….
I’m guessing you are judging the PS3 browser on where is was 18 months back….
hazelam
they’re on version 9 and it still wont open maximised after i close it maximised, i have to say, less than impressed.
plutoniumdragon
Agreed IE9 is a much better browser than its predecessors, but the problem for me is, once you are used to Firefox+NoScript, any other browser is simply annoying :)
manicminer
They all suck compared to Opera…
glen421
Didn’t Sony try this in the beginning??? Trying to be the all in one device in the living room???
Jakster123x
Surprised this hasn’t already happened.
Woah, wait, you can “surf all parts of the web”? Revolutionary!
Mike
Wasn’t MS’s stance that of Xbox never having a web browser? Bit of a U-turn there but I suppose any extra feature is a bonus!
stage1
I thought that as well. Isn’t a web browser defeating a lot of what the gold membership does in the vanity of apps as well?
*facepalm*
Mike
Hopefully the site I use for streaming sports works better than on the PS3 browser ;)
stage1
I think anything beats the PS3 browser!
lotrek
Seems MS have had a better strategy this Gen then Sony who tried to sell the PS3 as a all in one multimedia device and charge £420 then take for ever for a price cut and MS sells the xbox 360 pretty cheaper as a gaming device, builds up a big userbase and eventually adds a browser, apps, iplayer/on demand players its a shame that there forgetting about the games now.
next_portal2
Yeah you forgot this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QflHRLW0Tz8
Also, Kinnect is the future for your ‘great big fanbase’.
manicminer
The better strategy being rush it out the door barley working to meet the Xmas demamd, fix the RROD and disk scratching 4 years later, make users buy the non-beta version all over again, and charge them hundreds of pounds inbetween to play online..
Yeh, what a fantastic Pro-gamer strategy Microsoft had this generation.
Thankfully not all gamers are as stupid as you are..
jamess109
are they sure they have enough RAM on the xbox for internet explorer to work. considering its the slowest browser from the competition? if not we prob be seeing BSOD’s and RROD again hahaha!