Microsoft Edge could soon let you control how much RAM it uses

Something to look forward to: Since it replaced Internet Explorer as the default Windows browser a few years ago, Microsoft Edge has kept on adding new features and steadily gained market share, even replacing Firefox as the second-most-popular browser on the Windows platform. It is now poised to add another new feature that could make its use even more convenient, especially for gamers and power users.

Microsoft is reportedly testing a user-defined memory limiting feature for Edge that could prevent it from using too much RAM and slowing down the entire system. The new feature was spotted in the latest Edge Canary build by reliable tipster @Leopeva64, who posted a screenshot on X (formerly Twitter), showing the new “Resource Controls” option in Edge.

As can be seen in the screenshot, the feature will allow users to restrict the browser’s RAM consumption by using a progress bar that will display a scale from 1 to 16 if the device has 16GB of RAM. Similarly, if the system has 32 or 64GB of memory, the bar will show a scale from 1 to 32 or 1 to 64, respectively. Users can also specify whether the browser should abide by the chosen limit only during gaming or at all times

A new section on the Settings page could let you control how much RAM Edge can use, you can also choose whether this control is activated only when you are playing a game or always:https://t.co/YiCu5igL0U pic.twitter.com/pE29PI6FfR

– Leopeva64 (@Leopeva64) March 27, 2024

The feature could be especially useful in older devices with limited memory. However, Microsoft warns that choosing a very low limit could affect browser performance, so it’s imperative that you choose a number that will allow Edge to work smoothly.

To check whether you have the new memory limiter feature, go over to Edge Settings > Performance > Performance Detector and switch on the toggle next to Resource Controls. You will now be able to customize Microsoft Edge’s memory usage limit and decide when you want the browser to follow the restrictions.

Do note that the feature is currently rolling out only to a handful of Edge Insiders, so you may not see it on your device yet, even if you’re running the latest version of Edge Canary. We expect Microsoft to slowly make it available to more users in the coming days and weeks, but there’s no ETA for its release in the stable channel.