The Windows 8 Release Preview includes a new power-optimized, touch-friendly Adobe Flash Player. Adobe Flash content on compatible Web sites will now play in Metro style IE10. Metro style IE10 with Flash on Windows 8 enables people to see more of the Web working with high quality, especially compared with the experience in other touch-first or tablet experiences.
On Windows 8, Internet Explorer 10 on the desktop and Metro style IE use the same integrated Adobe Flash Player with no need to download or install an additional player. IE10 on the desktop provides the same full Flash support as previous versions of IE that relied on the Flash Player plug-in from Adobe and continues to support other 3rd party plug-ins. Metro style IE continues to provide no support for 3rd party ActiveX controls or plug-ins.
While any site can play Flash content in IE10 on the Windows desktop, only sites that are listed in the Flash section of the Compatibility View (CV) list can play Flash content within Metro style IE. (Being listed in the Flash section does not affect a site’s document mode.) We place sites with Flash content on this list if doing so delivers the best user experience in Metro style IE with those sites. For example, how responsive is the content to touch? Does it work well with the onscreen keyboard? Is it battery-life friendly? Do visual prompts comply with the Metro style user experience guidelines? Sites that rely on capabilities that are not supported within the Metro style experience, for example, Flash rollover events and P2P functionality, and don’t degrade gracefully in their absence are better off running in IE with Flash on the desktop.Site developers continue to control the content they serve to browsers. Developers can send HTML5 content to Metro style IE or express their preference that Metro style IE prompt users to run their site on the desktop (see details here). Developers can also request that their site is considered for addition to the CV list for Flash. Additional technical information and details can be found in the document posted on MSDN. These details include how developers can test Flash content on their own sites in Metro style IE and how to submit their sites for consideration for the CV list. The documentation also includes a best practices guide to help developers, designers, and content publishers create experiences with Flash that play well in Metro style IE.
—Rob Mauceri, Group Program Manager, Internet Explorer
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