Recently, I found a relatively new browser (initially created in 2019), or rather a special version of the main Opera browser, called Opera GX.
It claims to be a "gamer's browser" and while it's clearly a bit of an exaggeration, it has plenty of features that gamers could benefit from. Not to mention, the interface alone looks a lot like anything you'll find in Cyberpunk 2077.
From controlling the number of given resource websites that can be used, to the built-in ad blocker, to its tight integrations with Discord, YouTube Music, and more directly through the browser interface, there are nearly endless ways for users to improve. your experience. with Opera GX. You can even customize the browser backgrounds and music.
With such a variety of options and enhancements, everyone, but especially gamers that Opera is clearly aimed at, should give Opera GX a try. After all, if a strong supporter of Mozilla Firefox like me can be impressed, then you might be just as pleasantly surprised as I am.
Control-GX
One of Opera GX's main features is the CPU, RAM, network limiters, and active tab remover that allow users to control how much of these resources the browser allocates, even allowing it to automatically close people's tabs. who monopolize too many of these values. . It's a simple set of features that offers specialized control over your internet experience that you can't even get from the best Google Chrome extensions, at least not easily.
Being able to impose this kind of limit on a browser is essential because it can quickly start consuming a surprising amount of your system resources. Opera GX has a soft and hard toggle option for the limiter, with the soft option meaning there is some wiggle room within your set limit, while the hard edge means the tabs will be removed as soon as you reach that limit. defined limit.
This is something that players who have browsers open in the background that they might switch to for tutorials, guides, or any number of game-related topics can seriously benefit from by preventing the browser from impacting game performance. . a gamer who discovered that keeping Google Chrome open in the background reduces frame rate, Opera GX could be the solution he never thought he needed.
GX Cleaner
Most browsers have options to be able to clear caches, cookies, and other "buildups" that build up over time, but they tend to be hidden in options menus and aren't particularly user friendly. Opera GX, however, has the feature front and center in its sidebar, where the GX control and social media integration also live.
Just click the icon and then choose from three options, which control what should be purged, or customize it yourself, including how old those junk files are. It's a great tool that makes cleaning up your browser a lot easier, especially since it can have a huge impact on how fast your browser runs and how much memory it consumes.
Integrated AdBlock and VPN
Internet privacy has become more important in our lives as it becomes more difficult to enforce. And while Opera GX runs on Chromium and isn't the mainstream privacy browser (Mozilla Firefox would be), it still offers a wide variety of tools you can use to customize your privacy experience.
A VPN and AdBlock are built into the browser, which you can enable and disable via the sidebar menu, as well as customize which sites are exceptions to these tools. Give it a try, they both work pretty well, blocking some of the biggest online trackers and letting you choose the region your IP address is registered to.
Of course, it's not perfect, as VPN and AdBlock can interfere with websites and other GX features, but the fact that they're fully integrated and, in the case of VPN, completely free is an absolute steal.
You also have the option to download your own tools like uBlock Origins, as well as many other plugins and extensions that protect your privacy. And while these options aren't as robust as what Firefox offers, it's still a good amount that allows you to better customize your experience.
The aforementioned sidebar has some pretty impressive integrations, like instant access to tons of sites like Twitch, Discord, Twitter, various messaging apps, Instagram, and more.
There's also a music player that works in a similar way and lets you play music from sites like YouTube Music, Apple Music, Deezer, Soundcloud, Tidal, and Spotify directly from the browser.
In all these cases, you can use these sites by watching, listening or viewing their content while using the main browser. And none of these use additional tabs either, which frees up resources. As I write this, I use YouTube's music player to listen to a video game music playlist as I type and it works perfectly.
Other cool features
There are some other really nifty features that allow you to upgrade Opera GX to your exact audio and visual specifications.
For example, you can enable RGB lighting via Razer Chroma, Logitech G Lightsync RGB, and Corsair iCue, as well as choose from tons of user-created backgrounds (including animated backgrounds!) to personalize your browser. You can also set sound effects for typing, as well as choose background music to play while you browse.
You can organize your tabs into groups or workspaces, which is especially useful for tabs that you may need to keep open and track for the long term, such as work or school assignments. There's also Opera Flow, which syncs content between the Opera GX desktop browser and the mobile versions. It is basically an instant messenger that allows you to share links, files or texts between your PC and your phone.
Overall, Opera GX is a browser that hasn't gotten much attention, but it's probably the best web browser for gamers and a fantastic alternative to Google Chrome if you're not quite ready to ditch a Chromium-based browser just yet.