NetFront
| Company type | Software |
|---|---|
| Industry | Web browser software |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Founder | Access (Japanese company) |
| Products | Web browsers for mobile phones, gaming consoles, and other devices |
NetFront Browser is a mobile web browser created by the Japanese company Access, with its initial launch dating back to 1995. It exists in several editions built on both Chromium and WebKit frameworks. Throughout its history, NetFront has been embedded in a wide array of devices such as mobile phones, multifunctional printers, digital televisions, set-top boxes, PDAs, VoIP telephones, gaming consoles, email terminals, and automotive telematics platforms. It is particularly recognized for powering browsers on multiple Sony PlayStation and Nintendo gaming systems.
Platforms
For Pocket PC gadgets, NetFront enhanced webpage rendering by transforming tables into vertical formats to eliminate the need for horizontal scrolling. This browser engine was incorporated into the Dreamcast browser versions released in Japan and Europe, as well as the Japanese PlayStation Broadband Navigator expansion designed for the PlayStation 2.
The Nintendo 3DS employs the WebKit-based NetFront Browser NX. With firmware update 4.10, the PlayStation 3’s browser was upgraded to a customized NetFront version that offers partial HTML5 compatibility alongside better JavaScript execution. Similarly, the Wii U console uses NetFront NX and provides access to its GPL source code.
Amazon’s Kindle e-reader features NetFront as its default web browser. Continuing this legacy, Nintendo's newest console, the Nintendo Switch 2, integrates NetFront NX to support its online functionalities.
Performance
NetFront 3.5 achieved a score of 11 out of 100 on the Acid3 compliance test. In contrast, NetFront Browser NX version 1.0 demonstrated considerable advancement by reaching a score of 92 out of 100.