Google Confirms Metro Style Chrome For Windows 8

Google have confirmed that they're working on a version of Chrome for Windows 8 that will run in the Metro interface and adhere to the overall aesthetic. Rather than being based on the Android version of the browser, Chrome for Windows 8 would be the full-blown desktop client.

Speaking to Mashable, a Google spokesperson said:

Our goal is to be able to offer our users a speedy, simple, secure Chrome experience across all platforms, which includes both the desktop and Metro versions of Windows 8.

Google also confirmed that Chrome for Windows 8 will be optimized for touch support, enabling users to use Chrome on any Windows 8 tablets too. The Metro Chrome confirmation raises even more questions about how much work developers are going to have to put into supporting Windows 8. Will there really be a situation where two versions of the same app exist, one for Metro, and one for the traditional desktop interface? For browsers, that's not necessarily the case. Mozilla revealed last month that they have been working on a version of Firefox that includes both a Metro and desktop interface in a single app. This is presumably what Google are also doing.

Right now in the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, one version of Internet Explorer runs specifically on Metro, and doesn't support Flash, while the other runs in desktop mode, both sporting radically different interfaces.

Chrome for Windows 8 could bring some interesting features to the platform. If you look towards the Android version right now, you could expect to see automatic bookmark syncing, tab gesture support, as well as a card view riffed from webOS.

[via Engadget]