Microsoft is preparing a neat new feature for its browser. Those unhappy with how much RAM Microsoft Edge consumes will be glad to hear that the company is testing a built-in memory limiter to prevent the browser from exceeding user-defined limits.
The new RAM controls were spotted in Edge Canary by @Leopeva64 on X (formerly Twitter). Microsoft plans to let customers limit the memory use while playing games (the browser can automatically detect that) or always. A special slider will allow you to specify how much memory Edge should not exceed. You will also be able to check RAM consumption and limits in the "Browser essential" flyout.
The upcoming memory limiter will be a useful addition to all Microsoft Edge users regardless of how powerful their hardware is. Constraining RAM use will help reallocate resources to more important apps when doing resource-intensive tasks, gaming, or just using a low-end device with less memory than modern Android smartphones have.
Of course, choking Microsoft Edge of memory cannot go unnoticed. Microsoft warns that limiting RAM use can negatively impact the browser"s performance.
You can try new memory controls for Microsoft Edge by updating to the latest Canary version from the Edge Insider program. Note that that is a controlled feature rollout, which means only some testers can access it right now. To check whether your Edge Canary has the new RAM limiter, go to Settings > Performance > Performance Detector.
Besides the RAM limiter, Microsoft is working on a new Game view. The idea is to show users tips, guides, and "other helpful content" when they switch from the game to Microsoft Edge. The browse will let you toggle it off, assuming the feature will make it to the Stable Channel.
As a reminder, Microsoft recently re-released Edge 123 in the Stable Channel after fixing compatibility issues with "certain enterprise configurations."