New Microsoft Edge supports Chrome extensions, confirmed

By Chris Burns/Dec. 10, 2018 11:30 am EST

Last week we confirmed that Microsoft would indeed be re-launching their Microsoft Edge web browser with Chromium innards – today we've got news on Chrome extensions. "It is our intention to support existing Chrome extensions," said Microsoft's Kyle Alden. It's not clear yet whether Microsoft will support a Windows 10 version of a Google Chrome sort of app store. It is confirmed that the extensions that'll work and already do work on the chrome web browser should work for Microsoft Edge with Chromium.

Microsoft Edge – as a web browser – will be coming with Chromium to Microsoft devices that don't run a standard version of Windows 10, too. That means Xbox One is onboard for a Chromium web browser, eventually. "We are at the early stages of our journey," said Alden, "But it is our intention to bring the next version of Microsoft Edge to all Microsoft devices."

Contributions to open source software – Microsoft Edge to Chromium – is outlined as of this week over on Github. The four main Initial Areas of Focus are as follows.

Microsoft Contribution to OSS: Initial Areas of Focus:

• ARM64: Bring Chromium codebase to support for ARM-64

• Accessibility:

• PC-hardware evolution for modern input types, especially touch

• Security

Microsoft also posted what their next steps would be, basically, after their above Github-posted letter of intent was posted.

Microsoft Edge Developers Next Steps:

1. Contact "the engineering owners of various parts of the Chromium project to engage on how we can begin contributing in the areas listed above. This includes Google as well as other companies."

2. Inform key partners about evolving Edge strategy.

3. Make public announcements via blog post

4. Post to GitHub so developers and web-community members "can read about our plans directly."

With this release, Microsoft developers are, apparently, "going to be super actively listening to feedback once we ship the preview," said Alden. "If it doesn't look right there, let us know!" We'll know more about how to get in on the ground floor with this set of early builds soon. It might have something to do with that whole Edge Insider sort of business of which Microsoft spoke last week.