Any browser coming to Windows 10 S will have to use the EdgeHTML rendering engine

Windows 10 S, Microsoft’s new education-focused operating system, has a lot of restrictions in place. The main one, of course, being that it only allows you to install apps from the Windows Store. If you want to install programs from outside its ecosystem, you’ll need to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro.

Edge is the default browser in Windows 10 S, and Bing the default search engine, and unlike in Windows 10 itself, you can’t change these. That might be something of a deal breaker for any browser-makers interested in bringing their product to Windows 10 S, but that’s not the only issue they’ll face.

SEE ALSO: How to lock down Windows 10 Home/Pro like Windows 10 S

The Windows Store policy clearly states:

Apps that browse the web must use the appropriate HTML and JavaScript engines provided by the Windows Platform.

That means, should Google wish to bring Chrome to Windows 10 S, it will have to switch to using EdgeHTML, which it is unlikely to do.

MSPoweruser asked Microsoft about this policy and was told:

Windows Store apps that browse the web must use HTML and JavaScript engines provided by the Windows Platform. All Windows Store content is certified by Microsoft to help ensure a quality experience and keep your devices safer. With this policy, instated early this year, the browser a customer chooses in the Store will ensure the protections and safeguards of our Windows platform. If people would like to access apps from other stores and services, they can switch to Windows 10 Pro at any time.

Microsoft’s policy on browsers in Windows 10 S is very similar to Apple’s approach in iOS. There Safari is the fixed default, and all other browsers must be built on WebKit, Safari’s rendering engine.

The difference is browser-makers are prepared to accept the restrictions in iOS to reach Apple’s sizeable audience. That is unlikely to be the case with Windows 10 S.

Google hasn’t been a major supporter of the Windows Store, and with Windows 10 S clearly positioned as a Chrome OS rival, don’t expect that to change any time soon.

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