A new Windows update has shown that Microsoft could be considering a gaming version of its Edge browser after settings surfaced online.
Windows gets a lot of updates throughout the year, and even more so if you’re in any of the beta programs that Microsoft currently runs. However, if you’re on the “Canary” branch of Microsoft Edge, sometimes not everything is fully detailed.
A Twitter user has found a new setting in the browser listed as “Edge for Gamers”. Toggling it immediately sends you to a themes section of Microsoft’s add-on store with Discord and Twitch apps added to the sidebar.
There is a new 'Edge for Gamers' toggle on the Appearance page (Canary), after enabling it you are automatically redirected to the themes section of the Add-ons Store and the Discord and Twitch apps are also automatically added to the Sidebar: pic.twitter.com/6KWdpk2hPQ
— Leopeva64 (@Leopeva64) May 13, 2023
Microsoft has been ensuring that Edge is a single-destination browser for a while now. The Chromium-based browser is quite tricky to replace as your default in Windows 10 and 11. Though it has new AI features from OpenAI and ChatGPT.
On top of this, the Chromium base (it’s running the same engine as Google Chrome), is the widely accepted default for the web these days as well.
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Microsoft has only one rival in the gaming browser race: Opera GX
It’s unclear what makes this “Edge for Gamers” outside of integrating Discord and Twitch apps, as Microsoft’s main competitor in the emerging space is Opera.
Opera GX is a purpose-built spin on the Opera Browser (also running Chromium) that gives some elevated controls over it to prevent it from interfering with your game. Microsoft could be planning on either integrating the gaming version or testing out features for a spin-off browser in the future.
Opera bought out game-making software, GameMaker, in 2021, adding to its roster of gaming-focused software. The GX browser also includes its free VPN for unbridled browsing.
It’s yet to be seen whether Microsoft goes through with this plan, as we’re yet to see a fully implemented version of the RGB controls that were found in a beta build of Windows 11’s settings page.