Microsoft is currently testing out a performance mode feature on its Edge browser, which is apparently supposed to ease off the pressure on your CPU, battery, and RAM. The feature is currently being tested with a handful of users on the Canary version of the browser, and other users can get it going with a flag if they want to, using a code found here.
Microsoft Edge’s towards better performance
Microsoft says performance mode will, “optimize speed, responsiveness, memory, CPU and battery usage,” and also mentions the important caveat that, “Performance improvements might vary depending on your individual specifications and browser habits.” More specific details are still scarce.
Apparently Performance mode will also affect Sleeping Tabs. If you don’t know, sleeping tabs is a function that automatically draws processing power away from inactive tabs when you’ve got a lot going on at once, giving your CPU a break when you’ve left something on in the background. Sleeping tabs are designated as such based on how long they’ve been inactive for, and Edge’s new performance mode will lock that time to 5 minutes.
Microsoft isn’t the only tech giant fixing up its browser. Google has been making improvements to the Chrome browser for a while, and just last month announced that it would be improving Chrome’s infamous memory usage with a handful of fixes.
When it rolls out fully, it’ll be a nice feature for those of us who are running on more budget devices or just tend to have a lot going on on them. Which, in the world of remote work, is a lot of people.
Source: The Verge