Microsoft Edge just got a smart feature that a fair few people have been keenly awaiting for a long time now – the ability to control how much RAM the web browser gobbles up, with a useful side serving for gamers here, too.
Windows Latest reports that resource controls are now live in the finished (stable) version of Edge, after having been in testing since around the middle of 2024.
These are controls to limit how much RAM that Edge uses (certainly not the only hardware resource in a computer, but a major part of the picture, particularly for a web browser when running a whole load of tabs).
The resource controls panel offers a slider that can be adjusted to make all of the system RAM on your PC available to Edge, or as little as 1GB.
You can also choose whether that limit applies all the time, or only when you’re playing a PC game. The latter option allows those keen on gaming to have Edge operating normally, with the full amount of RAM, when doing other tasks, but whenever a PC game is running, the browser’s allocation of system memory can be trimmed down considerably to help ensure games run a bit more smoothly.
It likely won’t be a world of difference for gamers, but every extra frame helps in terms of having a better gameplay experience. Google Chrome, take notes.
Analysis: A definite Edge over Chrome
You might be thinking: why would I want to have Edge running while I’m gaming, anyway? Fair point, and closing the browser completely is obviously going to free up the maximum amount of memory resources for the PC game you’re playing.
However, there may be situations where you’re tackling a single-player game and get stuck, needing to consult a walkthrough. So, in that case, you might want Edge running in the background with the walkthrough open so you can Alt-Tab between the game and the tips. You’ll want a minimal impact on your gaming session, so you can turn Edge right down to use just a small amount of RAM.
Obviously, Edge can be limited in the general use of your computer, too, giving more of your RAM to the other apps you have running on your PC, but I’d be very careful about being too stingy with the memory allocation for Microsoft’s browser. Turning it down to the absolute minimum of 1GB of RAM (or near there) is likely to make Edge chug like a rusty old steamboat, especially if you have multiple tabs open.
My advice, then, is not to go too far to the left (minimum) side with that RAM slider, and start with a more middling setting to test the waters. As you might imagine, it’ll be a bit of trial-and-error as to exactly where might be best to position the slider for your particular system.
Overall, the new resource controls are a smart move to give Edge something extra over its big rival Chrome. Google’s browser does have performance alerts, along with a Memory Saver feature (which makes tabs that haven’t been used for a while inactive to save RAM), but this doesn’t provide anything like the same level of control as this fresh introduction for Edge.
I’ve got to say that I’m more tempted than ever to switch to Edge at this point. I do use Microsoft’s browser as a secondary option right now, here and there, but maybe it’s time to start thinking about adopting it as a primary candidate – or at least giving that a whirl for a time.