Hey guys,
I've been wondering about something for a while.
Why don't we have a proper modern web browser for the Switch through homebrew/Atmosphère?
I'm not talking about a simple browser that only opens a few basic pages. I'm thinking about something closer to a lightweight Chrome/Firefox experience:
- Modern HTML/CSS/JavaScript
- HTTPS
- Tabs
- Bookmarks
- History
- Downloads
- Touchscreen support
- Controller support
- YouTube and other modern websites, if possible
The UI itself doesn't seem like the biggest problem to me. The real problem is the web engine.
What would actually be possible on Switch?
Could something like Chromium/Blink be ported, or would it simply be too heavy?
What about WebKit? Since WebKit has been used on embedded devices before, maybe it could be a more realistic option.
There's also Gecko, although I imagine getting Firefox's engine running on Switch would be a huge project.
Maybe there's another lightweight/embedded web engine that would make more sense?
The Switch has 4 GB of RAM, so I'm wondering how much of a problem that really is if the engine was stripped down and optimized specifically for Switch.
Something like:
Homebrew Browser
↓
Web Engine
↓
HTML / CSS / JS
↓
Network / HTTPS
It doesn't need to become Chrome for Switch. Even a relatively lightweight browser capable of handling today's websites would already be pretty useful.
So my question is basically:
Has anyone seriously looked into porting a modern web engine to Switch homebrew?
If Chromium/WebKit/Gecko isn't realistic, what would be the best alternative?
I'm not a web-engine developer myself, so I'm curious what people with experience in Switch homebrew or browser development think.
Maybe someone already tried this and I'm just missing the project.
