Broccolini: Open-source web browser for consoles proof-of-concept
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I've started working on a basic web browser that will run on the WiiU, Switch, and other consoles! It's built using the same libraries as the Homebrew App Store. The project page is here: https://github.com/vgmoose/broccolini
Here's a screenshot of it on the Wikipedia home page:
There's still a lot left to do, but I'll keep working on it, and will share project updates here from time to time. My first goal is supporting homebrew consoles, although it's possible that it could end up on an official store (eg the eShop or PSStore).
If you have a modded WiiU or Switch, you can download the latest nightly build here, and feel free to open an issue on Github if you encounter bugs or missing functionality: https://nightly.link/vgmoose/broccolini/workflows/main/main
Sign the browser petition! Or visit my site at vgmoose.dev.
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I've started working on a basic web browser that will run on the WiiU, Switch, and other consoles! It's built using the same libraries as the Homebrew App Store. The project page is here: https://github.com/vgmoose/broccolini
Here's a screenshot of it on the Wikipedia home page:
There's still a lot left to do, but I'll keep working on it, and will share project updates here from time to time. My first goal is supporting homebrew consoles, although it's possible that it could end up on an official store (eg the eShop or PSStore).
If you have a modded WiiU or Switch, you can download the latest nightly build here, and feel free to open an issue on Github if you encounter bugs or missing functionality: https://nightly.link/vgmoose/broccolini/workflows/main/main
@VGMoose Does Discord work on it?
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Not at all! But maybe one day
For Discord, it would need at least cookies, POST requests, javascript, and websockets. Here's the compatibility status as of right now:
What Works
- renders HTML and CSS!
- inertia scrolling and touch-based navigation
- async image downloading
- history and bookmarks
- tabs and tab image previews
- private browsing mode
- restore previous tabs on re-launch
- full qwerty on-screen keyboard
- support for a few different font families
- base64 data uris and SVGs work
To Do:
- pinch to zoom! and pan left/right
- add cursor to be controlled with the joystick
- fix images drawing on top of everything
- detailed history and managing bookmarks
- store and use cookies, local storage, etc
- handle POSTs and other non-GET requests
- handle different error codes
- video and audio embed support
- simple javascript within pages
- improve HTML/CSS compatibility
- form input elements
- iframes and frames
- probably many more things
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dose it work when its ready and is it free?
@sflynn2025 It would be free! But, it's not clear if Nintendo for example would allow such a program on the eShop.
Sign the browser petition! Or visit my site at vgmoose.dev.
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@sflynn2025 It would be free! But, it's not clear if Nintendo for example would allow such a program on the eShop.
@VGMoose It is pretty clear, they like reducing as much freedom as possible.
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One has to wonder, with the Switch 2 including a builtin mouse cursor, if they have any plans to invest more in their own browser on the new system.
The petition to them got 28k signatures and is one of the top 10 most-signed on Change.org to Nintendo (actually, it's the 10th), but the browser has still not received any major new updates.
But! They still might take that feedback into account for their new console, and we'll see in a few months. Either way though, in terms of Broccolini and project goals, if the compatibility ever gets good enough, I'd at least try and submit it.
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@sflynn2025 It would be free! But, it's not clear if Nintendo for example would allow such a program on the eShop.
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BDNS DATABASE Switchbru †ΝΙΚΕ_LUVAS† Emo kids The Dark Side TIM BURTON 🖤 Guitar peeps ♬⋆.˚ Spider-Man 🕸️ Anti Cringe i love cats Jane Remover Orange_cats nugs not drugs indie game fan Animal Crossing Gang orange juice >>> apple juice Stay Sober 𓍊YellowJackets𓍊𓋼𓍊 chronically online The Mari Empire Jaiden's Bus Metallica MF DOOM lvrs Spotify ig RACK$ ON ME 🤑 I ♥ Green Day Froggy gang Nintendo Switch Users gleeby glorp Hide BDNS Ads did the dew ｡･ﾟﾟ･Vent-Friend 2.0 We <3 Gir i never sleep at night KOROK LOVERS Bugz high af join if your gang THE BIG BACK SQUAD Shark fans kendric > drake 👼Child Of God ✝️ i ♥ weezer I ♥ Nirvana Sneakerhead Egg Dog Autistic peeps hamster gang Swagg_c3rt1fi3d<3 neurodivergent ⊹₊ ˚ 999 CLUB ˚ ₊⊹ Lil Peep Fans🔥 Ryan= bisquito Counters ♥BrowseDNS Children's Table★ •Cat Gang• Music freak fans :3 simps Strawberry Milk ##adhd certified crackhead slim shady gang My busdriver is playing mitski 420 Hip Hop fans Gang stalker Random People Ig Fml W Silly Fellas WARNING! STUPID! ☆†Υ²Κ†★ Anti-Clanker `Gravity Falls` true crime lovers i throw soda cans at biggots heads ☆★! Converse !☆★ Crazy In Love. Alex G ★1NT3RN3T K1DZ★ Goth/emo/scene/other :3 Ⓐpunk/hXcⓔ PKM FAN Linkin park Damn is 😂🎉 Chaotic People Rappers NOCTURNAL IMA BURN IN HELL, but<3 Basement Dwellers Misfits fans INVADER ZIM - The Takeover Silliest Goobers -+EARTHBOUND+- purple gang Verified Invader swaggy girl I ♡ My BF G59 psycopathic Cool Cats gang Zero Ultra womp womp Outkast fans krendrick lamar Тотя Papa's Pizzeria BADDIESSS haha you cant see this text Melt Ice NonBinary 💛🤍💜🖤wow that's great! looking at the screenshot, are we going to be able to have multiple tabs open at once?
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Yes! There's a tab switcher with animations, and each tab preserves back/forward history. This was an early design goal because I've found tab management to always be a pain point for on-console browsers.
Recorded a 1 minute video of how the browser behaves right now:
When a tab is backgrounded, it takes a screenshot of the current page, and then uses that as a thumbnail for the tab switcher view. Then, when you switch back into a tab, that screenshot is replaced with the actual page again.
The clock in the URL bar also becomes a forward button after you go back, re-using that toolbar space.
Sign the browser petition! Or visit my site at vgmoose.dev.
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Yes! There's a tab switcher with animations, and each tab preserves back/forward history. This was an early design goal because I've found tab management to always be a pain point for on-console browsers.
Recorded a 1 minute video of how the browser behaves right now:
When a tab is backgrounded, it takes a screenshot of the current page, and then uses that as a thumbnail for the tab switcher view. Then, when you switch back into a tab, that screenshot is replaced with the actual page again.
The clock in the URL bar also becomes a forward button after you go back, re-using that toolbar space.
BDNS DATABASE Switchbru †ΝΙΚΕ_LUVAS† Emo kids The Dark Side TIM BURTON 🖤 Guitar peeps ♬⋆.˚ Spider-Man 🕸️ Anti Cringe i love cats Jane Remover Orange_cats nugs not drugs indie game fan Animal Crossing Gang orange juice >>> apple juice Stay Sober 𓍊YellowJackets𓍊𓋼𓍊 chronically online The Mari Empire Jaiden's Bus Metallica MF DOOM lvrs Spotify ig RACK$ ON ME 🤑 I ♥ Green Day Froggy gang Nintendo Switch Users gleeby glorp Hide BDNS Ads did the dew ｡･ﾟﾟ･Vent-Friend 2.0 We <3 Gir i never sleep at night KOROK LOVERS Bugz high af join if your gang THE BIG BACK SQUAD Shark fans kendric > drake 👼Child Of God ✝️ i ♥ weezer I ♥ Nirvana Sneakerhead Egg Dog Autistic peeps hamster gang Swagg_c3rt1fi3d<3 neurodivergent ⊹₊ ˚ 999 CLUB ˚ ₊⊹ Lil Peep Fans🔥 Ryan= bisquito Counters ♥BrowseDNS Children's Table★ •Cat Gang• Music freak fans :3 simps Strawberry Milk ##adhd certified crackhead slim shady gang My busdriver is playing mitski 420 Hip Hop fans Gang stalker Random People Ig Fml W Silly Fellas WARNING! STUPID! ☆†Υ²Κ†★ Anti-Clanker `Gravity Falls` true crime lovers i throw soda cans at biggots heads ☆★! Converse !☆★ Crazy In Love. Alex G ★1NT3RN3T K1DZ★ Goth/emo/scene/other :3 Ⓐpunk/hXcⓔ PKM FAN Linkin park Damn is 😂🎉 Chaotic People Rappers NOCTURNAL IMA BURN IN HELL, but<3 Basement Dwellers Misfits fans INVADER ZIM - The Takeover Silliest Goobers -+EARTHBOUND+- purple gang Verified Invader swaggy girl I ♡ My BF G59 psycopathic Cool Cats gang Zero Ultra womp womp Outkast fans krendrick lamar Тотя Papa's Pizzeria BADDIESSS haha you cant see this text Melt Ice NonBinary 💛🤍💜🖤@VGMoose said in Broccolini: Open-source web browser for consoles proof-of-concept:
When a tab is backgrounded, it takes a screenshot of the current page, and then uses that as a thumbnail for the tab switcher view. Then, when you switch back into a tab, that screenshot is replaced with the actual page again.
THATS SO COOL!!!! I'm so excited to see the finished project :)))
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Do you know if it has gamepad detection like the built in browser? Also D-Pad Snap to Object like what tab does on a computer?
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Yes! There's a tab switcher with animations, and each tab preserves back/forward history. This was an early design goal because I've found tab management to always be a pain point for on-console browsers.
Recorded a 1 minute video of how the browser behaves right now:
When a tab is backgrounded, it takes a screenshot of the current page, and then uses that as a thumbnail for the tab switcher view. Then, when you switch back into a tab, that screenshot is replaced with the actual page again.
The clock in the URL bar also becomes a forward button after you go back, re-using that toolbar space.
@VGMoose said in Broccolini: Open-source web browser for consoles proof-of-concept:
Recorded a 1 minute video of how the browser behaves right now:
Here's a GIF version of that video, if your device doesn't support video playback (may take like 10 seconds to load): http://vgmoose.bdns.dev/vidtest.gif
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