diff --git a/packages/schematics/angular/vitest-browser/index.ts b/packages/schematics/angular/vitest-browser/index.ts
index 78c3bdc6179d..8bd36ead6635 100644
--- a/packages/schematics/angular/vitest-browser/index.ts
+++ b/packages/schematics/angular/vitest-browser/index.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import {
 } from '../utility/dependency';
 import { JSONFile } from '../utility/json-file';
 import { latestVersions } from '../utility/latest-versions';
-import { getWorkspace } from '../utility/workspace';
+import { getWorkspace, updateWorkspace } from '../utility/workspace';
 import { Builders } from '../utility/workspace-models';
 import { Schema as VitestBrowserOptions } from './schema';
 
@@ -89,8 +89,33 @@ export default function (options: VitestBrowserOptions): Rule {
       }
     };
 
+    // Determine the default browser based on the provider package
+    let defaultBrowser: string;
+    if (packageName === '@vitest/browser-webdriverio') {
+      defaultBrowser = 'chrome';
+    } else {
+      // Playwright and preview both use 'chromium' as the default
+      defaultBrowser = 'chromium';
+    }
+
+    // Update angular.json to add the browsers option to the test target
+    const updateAngularJsonRule = updateWorkspace((workspace) => {
+      const project = workspace.projects.get(options.project);
+      if (project) {
+        const testTarget = project.targets.get('test');
+        if (testTarget) {
+          testTarget.options ??= {};
+          const existingBrowsers = testTarget.options['browsers'] as string[] | undefined;
+          if (!existingBrowsers?.length) {
+            testTarget.options['browsers'] = [defaultBrowser];
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    });
+
     return chain([
       updateTsConfigRule,
+      updateAngularJsonRule,
       ...dependencies.map((name) =>
         addDependency(name, latestVersions[name], {
           type: DependencyType.Dev,
@@ -101,8 +126,7 @@ export default function (options: VitestBrowserOptions): Rule {
       (_, context) => {
         context.logger.info(
           'Vitest browser testing support has been added. ' +
-            "To run tests in a browser, add a 'browsers' field to the 'test' target in 'angular.json', " +
-            "or use the '--browsers' command line option.",
+            `The test target has been configured with '${defaultBrowser}' as the default browser.`,
         );
       },
     ]);
diff --git a/packages/schematics/angular/vitest-browser/index_spec.ts b/packages/schematics/angular/vitest-browser/index_spec.ts
index 9027742f73a9..83ac0a9d55a6 100644
--- a/packages/schematics/angular/vitest-browser/index_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/schematics/angular/vitest-browser/index_spec.ts
@@ -35,37 +35,69 @@ describe('Vitest Browser Provider Schematic', () => {
     );
   });
 
-  it('should add dependencies and update tsconfig.spec.json', async () => {
-    const options = {
-      project: 'app',
-      package: '@vitest/browser-playwright',
-      skipInstall: true,
-    };
+  [
+    { pkg: '@vitest/browser-playwright', browser: 'chromium', extraDeps: ['playwright'] },
+    { pkg: '@vitest/browser-webdriverio', browser: 'chrome', extraDeps: ['webdriverio'] },
+    { pkg: '@vitest/browser-preview', browser: 'chromium', extraDeps: [] as string[] },
+  ].forEach(({ pkg, browser, extraDeps }) => {
+    it(`should add ${browser} to browsers option in angular.json for ${pkg}`, async () => {
+      const options = {
+        project: 'app',
+        package: pkg,
+        skipInstall: true,
+      };
 
-    const resultTree = await schematicRunner.runSchematic('vitest-browser', options, tree);
+      const resultTree = await schematicRunner.runSchematic('vitest-browser', options, tree);
 
-    const packageJson = parse(resultTree.readContent('/package.json'));
-    expect(packageJson.devDependencies['@vitest/browser-playwright']).toBeDefined();
-    expect(packageJson.devDependencies['playwright']).toBeDefined();
+      const angularJson = parse(resultTree.readContent('/angular.json'));
+      const project = angularJson.projects.app;
+      const targets = project.architect || project.targets;
+      expect(targets.test.options.browsers).toEqual([browser]);
+    });
 
-    const tsConfig = parse(resultTree.readContent('/projects/app/tsconfig.spec.json'));
-    expect(tsConfig.compilerOptions.types).toContain('vitest/globals');
-    expect(tsConfig.compilerOptions.types).toContain('@vitest/browser-playwright');
-    expect(tsConfig.compilerOptions.types).not.toContain('jasmine');
+    it(`should add dependencies and update tsconfig.spec.json for ${pkg}`, async () => {
+      const options = {
+        project: 'app',
+        package: pkg,
+        skipInstall: true,
+      };
+
+      const resultTree = await schematicRunner.runSchematic('vitest-browser', options, tree);
+
+      const packageJson = parse(resultTree.readContent('/package.json'));
+      expect(packageJson.devDependencies[pkg]).toBeDefined();
+      for (const dep of extraDeps) {
+        expect(packageJson.devDependencies[dep]).toBeDefined();
+      }
+
+      const tsConfig = parse(resultTree.readContent('/projects/app/tsconfig.spec.json'));
+      expect(tsConfig.compilerOptions.types).toContain('vitest/globals');
+      expect(tsConfig.compilerOptions.types).toContain(pkg);
+      expect(tsConfig.compilerOptions.types).not.toContain('jasmine');
+    });
   });
 
-  it('should add webdriverio dependency when @vitest/browser-webdriverio is used', async () => {
+  it('should not overwrite existing browsers option in angular.json', async () => {
+    // Set up existing browsers option
+    const angularJson = parse(tree.readContent('/angular.json'));
+    const project = angularJson.projects.app;
+    const targets = project.architect || project.targets;
+    targets.test.options ??= {};
+    targets.test.options.browsers = ['firefox'];
+    tree.overwrite('/angular.json', JSON.stringify(angularJson));
+
     const options = {
       project: 'app',
-      package: '@vitest/browser-webdriverio',
+      package: '@vitest/browser-playwright',
       skipInstall: true,
     };
 
     const resultTree = await schematicRunner.runSchematic('vitest-browser', options, tree);
 
-    const packageJson = parse(resultTree.readContent('/package.json'));
-    expect(packageJson.devDependencies['@vitest/browser-webdriverio']).toBeDefined();
-    expect(packageJson.devDependencies['webdriverio']).toBeDefined();
+    const updatedAngularJson = parse(resultTree.readContent('/angular.json'));
+    const updatedProject = updatedAngularJson.projects.app;
+    const updatedTargets = updatedProject.architect || updatedProject.targets;
+    expect(updatedTargets.test.options.browsers).toEqual(['firefox']);
   });
 
   it('should update tsconfig.spec.json for a library project', async () => {