Microsoft claims Edge browser is now 9% faster after update

In a post on Microsoft’s Windows blog, the software giant claims the Edge browser is now 9% faster with the latest update to version 134. The improvements are based on Speedometer 3.0, a tool that measures real-world web usage. Microsoft also noted that the improvements may vary depending on the device you’re using, the apps you’re running, and your browsing habits.

Microsoft explained how it achieved these improvements by saying, “Our unique approach, and focus, on optimizing speed, and the code changes we continuously make to Edge, and to the Chromium rendering engine within it, have led to real-world performance improvements when using the browser on a variety of hardware running on Windows and macOS!”

The Redmond company also mentioned that besides the enhancements in benchmarks, they also saw improvements in various core performance metrics between versions 133 and 134. The upgrades include 2% faster startup times, 1.7 times faster navigation times, and 5% to 7% faster web page response. Microsoft conducted the test on a Windows 11 PC with a 13th-generation Intel Core i5. In theory, this means Edge should feel snappier when opening new tabs, loading websites, and moving between web apps like Google Docs, Gmail, and online shopping sites such as Amazon.

These improvements show how Microsoft continues to make progress in making the Edge browser faster. Last year, the company began transitioning Edge’s interface from React to the WebUI 2.0 framework to improve performance and responsiveness. We have seen different features appear in Edge, such as Scareware protection in version 133, which aims to protect users from deceptive pop-ups that trick them into thinking their computers are infected. Version 134 of Edge reached the stable channel a little over a month ago and brought changes like restricting the ability to add profiles for Entra users, among other things.