If Microsoft's latest tests are any indication, Microsoft's Edge browser may soon ship with the ability to control memory usage

Microsoft Edge Canary, a test version of the Edge browser for those who want to try out its latest and upcoming features, offers a RAM slider that allows users to determine how much memory the browser will use at any given time This feature, discovered by Edge Canary leaker Leopeva64, is available in Edge's settings pane and allows users to choose between 1GB and the maximum amount of RAM used However, this setting cautions that "setting a lower limit may affect browser speed"

The ability to set RAM usage in the Edge browser may be a boon for users who want more control over their browsing experience; while limiting RAM usage may have a negative impact on browser performance, it may also be beneficial for users with multiple windows and tabs for each, you'll find that leaving the browser (and the user) running amok can bring down a computer in no time, and Edge Canary's RAM slider can help you avoid such an out-of-control situation and, perhaps most importantly, prevent valuable It lets the user know that there are too many tabs open that are wasting system resources

Interestingly, this feature also seems to be designed for gamers: in addition to a slider that determines Edge's RAM usage, there is also a user-determined RAM usage limit that can be applied to the entire browsing experience or only when playing video games in Edge A toggle is also provided

Games in browsers are resource-intensive and tend to use the most RAM Providing an option to limit the impact of video games on system memory will allow the computer to run somewhat more smoothly during gameplay, and will allow older computers to switch between applications with less memory and fewer system resources This should be the case

With regard to games, Leopeva64 also found that Microsoft has added a new option that lets the user decide whether Edge will open the game view when switching from a game supported by the PC to the browser When this option is turned on, "tips, guides, and other helpful content" related to the game will automatically appear in the game view when the user switches from the game to the browser

Looking ahead, it is unclear when the new Edge Canary features will be available in the Edge browser However, given that most of the features Microsoft is bringing to Canary are likely to be ready for primetime anyway, it won't take long