Google has confirmed plans to adopt Microsoft’s Pointer Events, a technology introduced in Internet Explorer, to improve scrolling and touch input across all versions of its Chrome browser for desktops, tablets, and smartphones.

Google has long been using a technology called Touch Events for Chrome, which is the same technology employed by Apple in its Safari browser. But the scrolling experience inside Chrome for touch devices — particularly Windows 8 tablets — has been suffering as a result.

So now, as a result of feedback from the web community, the search giant is switching to the same Pointer Events technology used by Microsoft, Mozilla, and Opera, which should bring significant improvements to scrolling and touch interactions across all platforms.

“Replacing all touch event handlers with pointer event handlers will address the main longstanding source of scroll-start jank we see on Android,” said Google’s Rick Byers.

It’s going to take Google a while to build Pointer Events into its browsers, so it will likely be some time before it first appears in Chrome beta releases. But many will surely be pleased to hear that it is on the way.

And for those that were happy with Touch Events, don’t worry; it’s not going anywhere. Google will be implementing Pointer Events alongside its existing Touch Events support, so Chrome users will get the best of both worlds.