The Xbox One is a powerful console that can offer great performance and entertainment, but only if you have the right browser.
It is one of the most popular video gaming consoles on the market. In fact, so much so that there are many different browsers available for it. With all these choices, how do you know which browser to use?
There are several browsers designed for use with your Xbox including Google Chrome, Opera, and Safari Browser. These browsers are all compatible with the latest version of Microsoft’s popular system and will make browsing easy on your device.
The best browser for Xbox One is Firefox due to its seamless performance and plenty of useful features that are absent in other browsers.
Let’s find out more about these browsers now.
Best Browsers For Xbox One
1. Google Chrome
Google’s browser has been designed to work well with consoles. It offers a fast browsing experience and includes an incognito mode that erases cookies, passwords, or any other personal information when you’re done browsing.
The new Xbox One Google Chrome browser is a huge departure from the previous one. For starters, it’s now based on WebKit rather than Trident.
Secondly, there are no plans to bring extensions and themes to this version of Google Chrome for Xbox One- something that was possible with the old one.
Of course, there are some things that were carried over like voice search and gesture navigation in tabs which make browsing much easier when you don’t have an attached controller nearby or hands-free.
Now, instead of having to type out the address in the dialog box on your screen next to “xbox.com” you can just say it aloud and Google Chrome for Xbox One will do all of that work for you.
If you are not a fan of the voice controller, you can still type it in after you’ve signed up for the Service. All that is left to do is open Google Chrome and type in “xbox.com” into your address bar- no need to even use a controller.
Remember that this feature works for any webpage on your desktop and not just the dashboard. That’s because Voice Search with Google Chrome on Your Xbox can be used anywhere, anytime while browsing through your desktop browser (or even mobile).
Also Read: Best Browsers For Smart TV
Google Chrome was first introduced to Microsoft’s console back in November last year, but only as an experimental add-on available from the Windows Store.
Now, it’s finally available for download on the Xbox Store itself and can be accessed by simply installing the app, that is if you’re willing to spend a bit of money (more about this later).
- Google Chrome is now natively installed in Microsoft’s console
- Only accessible from Windows Store before as an experimental add-on
- Now, downloadable from the newly redesigned Xbox Games store directly without needing to install another Windows store
- It has been made purchasable at launch but costs $60 per year or a $12 monthly subscription fee which will give users access to other Google apps like G+ and YouTube Red. The purchase also includes a six-month free trial.
Check out top alternatives to Google Chrome.
2. Firefox
Firefox has been around since 2004 and is popular among many Windows PC users. It’s also a favorite on consoles like the PlayStation and Nintendo Wii U in addition to Xbox One.
Firefox for Xbox One arrived at the console with a new interface and powerful features designed specifically for gamers.
The game’s browser makes it easy to explore tons of content on different sites without having to start over from scratch every time you open up a new tab while using fewer resources than standard browsers.
Watching Twitch, YouTube or any other video site is now possible in full-screen mode so that your eyes are glued only to what matters most.
And because many games exist on multiple consoles, they’ve made sure that their version was compatible with those as well, so no need to worry about switching back and forth between platforms.
When the user opens their first tab they will be prompted with an option which platform they want the Firefox browser for.
The user will then have to log in with their Microsoft account. After that, Firefox Browser for Xbox One automatically syncs all of the users’ data and preferences from other devices on which they are logged into a PC version or Android phone.
This can be done by using either an existing ID already associated with your device or by creating a new one specifically for this browser app.
This allows you to enjoy the same experience as you would when browsing on a computer – it’s not only convenient but also practical.
Other features include:
- The Zoom mode allows you to see parts of the screen that would be difficult or impossible with just an analog controller. You can also customize how big these views are depending on what type of game you’re playing.
- Saving your favorite sites is possible with this app – in fact, any site that supports Microsoft Edge extensions can be used and saved for later use. This means no more opening up different tabs when all you want is something specific. And if there’s a tab open already but not quite what you were looking for, simply close it out by using the X icon at the top right corner as usual.
A personal favorite is the new Tab Tiling feature. It’s not as intuitive to use in practice as it might sound, so here are a few pointers:
- Select which site you want to open by either pressing A on your Xbox One controller or clicking/tapping within the app window.
- Tap and hold anywhere on the screen outside of thumbnails for another tab (or press X). This will create an “empty” space that can be quickly filled with a different browser tab by tapping again and selecting one of your favorites. These tabs can also be dragged around like any other tile.
- To remove a tiled tab, just drag it offscreen until its thumbnail disappears from view. You’ll still need to click OK when prompted to confirm the action.
- Pressing Y will fill your entire display with a tab while pressing B on Xbox One or pointing to Hide Window from tiled tabs’ context menu (or X if you’re in fullscreen mode) brings it back down to one of its thumbnail sizes.
Explore the best alternatives to FireFox in this post.
3. Opera Browser
Opera is another option with power to spare on your console device. This browser was built specifically for gaming so it offers features like shortcuts to many of today’s top sites as well as easier multitasking in-game windows while surfing the web.
It is the latest extension to Opera’s browser repertoire. It will be available on Xbox consoles beginning with the new S model of Microsoft’s most advanced console, while it was previously unavailable on other platforms like iOS and Android (you can find it in those stores). The update brings a host of new features including:
- A new interface with a sleeker, more inviting feel.
- Enhanced loading speed and performance across the board
- Opera for Xbox One also integrates features from Microsoft’s Edge browser to give users quick access to their favorite websites as well as other frequently visited pages in Opera’s Speed Dial – all without having to switch between apps.
- A streamlined new search engine to quickly and easily find what you’re looking for across the web, with one click of a button from Opera’s Speed Dial – it even lets users search within sites like Facebook and Twitter
Opera’s integrated browser has built-in ad blockers that include an option to mute all audio and video ads, or just those that are not tailored to a user’s preferences.
It’s made for easy navigation and quick access to your favorite sites right from Opera for Xbox One all without leaving the app.
Opera Browser is available now as an exclusive offer through Microsoft Store for free.
Other Opera browser features for Xbox One features include:
- Customizable speed dial with favorites, tabs, and search engine results at a glance
- If you’re looking for an article, YouTube video, or any other site on the web and don’t know what page it’s located on, just type in that URL into Opera’s address bar. It’ll tell you if there are multiple pages with that name available to choose from so you can go right where you need to be.
- Opera supports gestures like pinch zooming and swiping up and down for easy scrolling through long pages of content without taking your thumbs off the controller.
- Video playback is smooth thanks to advanced compression technology built into the Opera browser for Xbox One – plus loading videos will not stop background audio playing like in other browsers.
Explore more Opera-like browsers here.
4. Safari Browser
Safari is another solid browser that has been a top choice for Mac users. It features the ability to sync with iCloud, which means you can access all of your content across multiple platforms as well.
This one also includes private browsing mode too so you don’t have any worries about leaving things behind when done surfing this time around.
The Safari browser is now available for Microsoft Windows 10 computers and tablets, so this makes it possible to have access to all of your favorite websites while playing your game.
To get started, you will need to download the Safari browser from Microsoft’s website. Once it downloads and is installed on your computer or tablet, you can easily open it by double-clicking its icon.
You may also choose to pin it so that it can be accessed quickly while playing games on your Xbox One without having to go to your computer or tablet.
Once the program is open, it will prompt you to enter a web address that you would like to visit, and then it will update with information on what website should be displayed when visiting this site.
You do not have to go all the way back to your Xbox One controller just so that you can type out the web address in order to visit a website.
By browsing the internet with Safari, you will be able to watch videos from Netflix and YouTube without having any issues as long as that site is supported by this browser on your Xbox One console.
In addition, if you are playing games offline, then this can come in handy for checking emails or looking up football scores to see if your team is winning.
A downside of the Safari browser for Xbox One is that you cannot use it as a default browser on the console, but this can be changed in settings so make sure to explore all options before concluding whether or not this browser will be useful for you.
Some features of the Safari browser for Xbox One include
- The ability to make a private browsing window in which you can do research online without leaving any traces of your activity on the console. In this way, when someone else gets access to the Xbox One and sees that Safari is running they will not be able to see what sites were visited or how long was spent there.
- Another major benefit of using Safari Browser for Xbox One is its security features so if you are at all concerned about hackers getting into your personal information then it would be wise to give this browser a try because it blocks pop-ups and phishing scams from getting through.
- Safari Browser for Xbox One also has control over cookies so once again privacy is ensured along with fewer distractions during gameplay since most ads cannot get through
- The only downfall to using Safari Browser for Xbox One is that it does not support HTML and other coding languages so webpages will load slower than they would in a browser with this capability, but if you are looking for the quickest loading speed possible then Chrome or Edge might be better.
Check Out: Brave vs Opera
5. Monument Browser
Monument Browser is a great app for those who want simplicity and speed. With the help of this app, you can browse different sites without any hassle at all.
The interface has been made to be user-friendly and not too complicated, unlike other browsers which are mostly designed in a way that they confuse their users with unnecessary features.
Monument Browser stands out as one of the best because it is easy to navigate and has an interface that doesn’t need too much getting used to before you know your way around easily.
This is because there aren’t many options on screen so it doesn’t take long before one finds what he or she needs in order to navigate through the site. It also gets five stars for its security features which make this browser among the more secure ones on the market today.
For these reasons alone, Monument Browser deserves its spot as being among the best browsers for Xbox One.
The only con about this browser is that it lacks some features such as plugins. However, It is one of the most secure browsers on this list because there are no plug-ins or addons that can contain malware.
Despite not having all of the bells and whistles other competitors have, The Monument team should be commended for creating a simple yet robust app with a user-friendly interface.
Some people might argue that some browsers offer better features than others, but when you’re looking for an uncomplicated Xbox One experience without sacrificing any key features then we recommend using Monument Browser.
Also Read: Brave vs Chrome
6. Edge
Edge is Microsoft’s own browser for Windows and Xbox One devices. It was first released in 2015 as Microsoft Edge, with the last update in October 2018 which added support for Chrome extensions.
The most attractive feature of this app is its ability to use machine learning to predict what you want without any user input or typing whatsoever. This can be seen as a downside though because it cannot handle sites that are not well-coded like Reddit; basically, all links are opened in a new tab (or window).
One thing about Edge is when multiple tabs open at once, only one tab will stay visible while others will have an x icon indicating they need attention from the user. The homepage has similar functionality as Safari where you swipe back and forth to preview other pages, but there are no tabs.
The newest version of Edge has a feature called Library that will show you all the information from your browsing history and lets you save it for later use.
Some features have been taken away such as Tracking Protection which is now an add-on instead of being built in like before. You can also access the library by going to the hamburger menu on the top left corner and selecting “Library”.
The next thing I want to mention about this browser is its performance; it’s significantly faster than Chrome when opening new tabs or windows which makes it great if you open many tabs at once often because it doesn’t slow down your computer much. It does not seem vulnerable to data loss like other browsers are.
Check Out: Brave Browser Review
7. Vivaldi
One of the things I like about Vivaldi is its interface, it doesn’t look cluttered at all and everything is right there for you to see. This browser is really great because it has a ton of features that you can customize and I love the sync feature.
The download manager has been improved on this browser so if a website that you’re downloading from has an update available then it will automatically prompt the user in a window which saves them some time of manually going into their downloads tab every single time they open up the site.
The tab bar is also a nice, easy-to-use feature that Vivaldi offers. There are four tabs: Home (it will show you your most visited websites), Recent Tabs, Closed Tabs, and All Opened Tabs, which make it easier for the user to navigate through their browser without having to open up countless other windows.
Another thing I like about this browser is its ability to block pop-ups. Pop-ups can sometimes be an issue when browsing on any device but with Vivaldi, they have taken steps in order make sure people don’t get bombarded by these advertisements as much.
There’s not really anything more that needs to be said about Vivaldi besides it being one of my favorite browsers and recommend checking out if you’re looking for a new browser.
Also Read: Brave vs DuckDuckGo
8. Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer is one of the most used browsers in the world. It’s not as good and fast when it comes to surfing on your computer, but for Xbox One devices, we’ve found that this browser works really well. You can download a free version from Microsoft which has some ads.
This would be ideal if you are looking for a basic web browser because it has all the basics available at an affordable price point. If speed is more important to you than expense then there are other alternatives out there with faster speeds such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox (free).
The easiest way to get Internet Explorer onto your Xbox One device is by following these steps:
- Open the web browser on your Xbox One device
- Select “Settings” from the menu bar and then select “Add New Browser.”
- Enter IE as the name of your new browser. Press enter to save changes, then press ‘Start’ at the bottom of this page to open a tab with Internet Explorer. You will be prompted for permission: type in yes and hit enter again. Now you can switch between browsers by pressing RB + A or LB+A on an Xbox controller, but only if there is more than one installed.
Explore: Opera vs Vivaldi
Final Words
These are just a few suggestions but there are plenty more options out there if these ones aren’t what you’re looking for in terms of usability or power. Consider downloading them today and see how they compare soon enough. You won’t regret it I’m sure.
For me, Firefox is a great choice if you’re looking for a stable web browser that’s easy to navigate on Xbox One. It also has some pretty good features like tabbed browsing, user profiles, extensions, and add-ons which are not available with other browsers at the moment.
While it may seem like there isn’t much of a difference between all these different options today, at least now you know one or two things worth considering when making your final decision.
