Google says Chrome for Windows 8 is in the works

Google is designing a version of Chrome to run in touch-friendly Metro of Windows 8.

Windows 8 is the upcoming edition of Microsoft Windows and features a new Metro-style user-interface with input for touchscreen, mouse, keyboard, and pen. The platform’s Consumer Preview was just released Feb. 29.

A Google representative told Mashable that Chrome for Windows 8 is based on the desktop browser and not the Android form. The browser will highlight touch support to compliment the company’s interface principle that spans across many of its products and services, such as Xbox 360 and Windows Live. With that said, Chrome for Android indicates Chrome for Windows 8 might feature automatic syncing, swipe-able tabs, and a multitude of extensions.

“Our goal is to be able to offer our users a speedy, simple, secure Chrome experience across all platforms, which includes both the desktop and Metro versions of Windows 8,” announced a Google representative. “To that end we’re in the process of building a Metro version of Chrome along with improving desktop Chrome in Windows 8 such as adding enhanced touch support.”

More information is available below.

Whether Chrome for Windows 8 will showcase all the features of the current desktop impression—or if it will sport limitations— remains unknown. Microsoft recently revealed users can only run one default browser, but it will still allow other Metro-targeted browsers. So far, Opera and Apple are the only browser-makers who have not announced a Metro rendering of their products.

It is worth noting Microsoft and Google have become bitter enemies in recent months. Microsoft even launched a smear campaign last month that depicts Google as a shady advertiser with its fingers in too many pies. Despite the mud-slinging, Google must maintain a strong Windows presence to keep ahold of its market share in both search and browsers, because Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 10 serves as the default browser for Windows 8 with Bing pushed as the primary search engine.