14 DAY TRIAL // Google has recently launched Chrome 64 for all supported desktop platforms, but as compared to users on Linux and Mac, Windows 10 adopters have something extra to experience.
Starting with this version, Google is enabling High Dynamic Range (HDR) support in Chrome, but for the time being, this feature is exclusive to Windows 10.
HDR support first landed in Chrome last year on Android devices, and Google is now working to expand the availability of this feature to more platforms. “HDR support is now available on Windows 10, and more platforms are coming soon,” the company said.
With HDR video, Google promises “vibrant colors, darker blacks, and brighter whites from the latest HDR displays.” So yes, even if the browser comes with such support, you still need an HDR-capable screen to truly enjoy the high-quality of your videos.
The search company also announced that future updates would include VR on the web. With this feature, Google basically enables VR content to be played directly into the browser, without the need for any other tools to load the necessary toolkit.
Google Chrome, the leading browser
In case you’re wondering why these improvements are so important, it’s because Google is right now the world’s number one desktop browser, and judging from market share figures, this is unlikely to change anytime soon.
NetMarketShare says Google Chrome has a share of 60.57%, which means that more than 6 in 10 desktop computers are running Google’s browser. The runner-up is Firefox, but very far behind, with 11.02 percent, while Microsoft Edge, which is being offered as default in Windows 10, is used on just 4.61% of the systems.
You can download Google Chrome 64.0.3282.119 for GNU/Linux, macOS, and Windows right now, but keep in mind that HDR support requires an HDR monitor. You should update to the latest version nonetheless, especially because this new release includes fixes for the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities disclosed in early January.