• The Verge, Friday, May 11, 2012 12:22 PM

As part of a unique media strategy, Microsoft has always offered certain Web services through its Xbox gaming console. Going ever further, the software giant is reportedly testing a modified version of Internet Explorer 9 on Xbox 360, which would expand existing functionalities. “We are told that the browser will let Xbox users surf all parts of the web straight from their living rooms,”

The Verge reports, citing sources. That’s right, if the Xbox 360 were to get the Internet Explorer browser, users would be able to search the entire Web straight from their gaming consoles. The Xbox 360 currently includes Bing voice search, but it's limited to media results. “Microsoft has also integrated Kinect gestures and voice control heavily into the experience, allowing Xbox owners to quickly search using the existing Bing functionality and pull up relevant web pages.” Kinect support is not mandatory according to The Verge’s sources, but the browser will reportedly be tuned for Kinect usage. Meanwhile, there's no word on a launch date for Internet Explorer on Xbox, “but with E3 on the horizon we'd expect to hear the official details from Microsoft in a matter of weeks.”

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