New test version Chrome supports webcams and gamepads

Google has released a new beta of its Chrome browser that has support for two new APIs. These ensure that the browser can handle webcams, microphones and gamepads without using plug-ins.

Webcams and microphones are supported through the getUserMedia API, part of the WebRTC project. This allows web pages to address a computer’s microphone and webcam without using a separate plug-in that needs to be installed separately.

Video streams can be manipulated via, for example, css filters or webgl, as can be read on the Chromium Blog. The api can be used from version 18 of Chrome, but was not enabled by default. This is the case with the latest beta. The latest version of Opera can also handle the api.

The Gamepad API can be invoked via Javascript and, as the name implies, makes it possible to use gamepads within the browser. Gamepads could already be used via Google’s Native Client platform, but the Javascript implementation is new.