Microsoft is working on a “dual-screen emulator” for the Chromium open-source browser. Spotted by Windows Latest in a Chromium Gerrit commit, users will be able to enable the feature through an experimental flag.
The emulator doesn’t come as a surprise as more foldable devices are appearing in the market. However, what makes it interesting is that the feature is meant for mobile devices only.
It currently supports Galaxy Fold, and Surface Duo which is expected to launch later this year. More devices might follow suit in the coming days. Meanwhile, Microsoft has already released the Windows 10X emulator for the dual-screen Surface Neo.
Microsoft has listed down a bunch of changes that are included in the emulator. For instance, it supports the different orientation settings for dual-screen devices when they are in vertical or horizontal positions.
New controls have been added to extend the browser UI from single-screen to dual-screen. If a device has a hinge in dual screen mode, it will be shown in the emulator as well. Microsoft has also added a couple of screenshots that show what the dual-screen device emulation feature would look like.
As it seems, the emulator is for developers who would use it to optimize their websites for dual-screen devices. But it can also be used by regular users to get a sneak peek of how a page will appear on dual-screen devices.
It is safe to assume that the new device emulation feature will land on the Edge Chromium browser after the development is complete.
Ever since Edge Chromium came into existence, Microsoft has been an active contributor to the Chromium project. Earlier this year, it added a feature that helps Chromium (and Chrome) cut down on its battery consumption.
