Microsoft is already designing the new Chromium Edge to be as lightweight as possible, but it already has a new plan up its sleeve. A new setting, called "performance mode," will soon make its way onto the browser to save even more of your computer's resources.
What Is Microsoft Edge's New Performance Mode?
Windows Latest spotted the feature in Microsoft Edge Canary 91. Canary is the browser's testbed for new features, so new and exciting things always appear without warning on the browser.
Such is the case of the new performance mode, which appeared on the latest build. When you turn the feature on, it'll help optimize CPU, memory, and battery usage of the browser, so it makes less of an impact on your PC.
However, Microsoft is quick to add that this new setting isn't a magic bullet that will work for every user. The company says that the effectiveness of the new performance mode largely depends on how you use the browser and what website you visit with it.
Because this new feature is in the Canary build, you won't see it on the main branch just yet. However, Canary features often make their way onto the main branch in due time, so it shouldn't be too long a wait.
Microsoft's Push for a Lighter Browser
If you've been keeping tabs on Microsoft Edge, you'll know that this isn't the first time that the Redmond giant has added performance features to the browser. Recently, sleeping tabs made their debut on the main branch after a period of public testing.
As such, Microsoft's plan to compete versus Chrome is to make the browser as lightweight as possible. Chrome is a notorious resource hog, which paints a pretty large target on the browser's back. If Microsoft Edge can deliver a powerful browser that does it all and takes up fewer resources than Chrome, it may have a chance to take on the big leagues.
A Good Performance From Microsoft Edge
If you're a fan of lightweight browsers that don't devour your RAM and CPU, keep an eye on Microsoft Edge in the coming weeks. The browser will soon have a performance mode that will keep Edge's resource footprint down.
If you haven't touched Edge in a while, it now contains a few handy features that raise it above the competition. For instance, you can now install websites as apps in the browser.
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