The latest version of Microsoft Edge has made the browser even better for Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Microsoft Edge version 103 introduced two new game modes for your browser. It's Clarity Boost and a new Efficiency mode, and both seem to be a perfect fit for Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Microsoft announced the additions via its Windows Experience blog (opens in a new tab), though the new game options have been in testing since March. But finally, the features made it to the latest public version of Microsoft Edge, which you can update now.
Clarity Boost and Efficiency modes are exclusive features of Edge. Microsoft describes Clarity Boost as a "spatial scale enhancement" and makes the image clearer and sharper when gaming via the cloud in your browser. Take a look at the image below to see the difference Clarity Boost makes in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
The latest version of Edge also sees the addition of the aforementioned efficiency mode. This reduces the resource load on your browser when playing cloud-based games, which improves performance. This feature can be enabled or disabled through Edge's System Performance and Settings tab.
Microsoft Edge: the gamer's browser?
These latest updates to Edge show that Microsoft is committed to making its browser the go-to option for gamers. This is especially the case if you have the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription required to access the Xbox Cloud Gaming service.
With the subscription, you don't even need an Xbox console to access games on the service. If they can be played via the cloud, they can be accessed from a phone, tablet, or Microsoft's Internet browser. These new performance options should make cloud gaming much more accessible on a variety of hardware, and much more enjoyable to boot up.
Of course, Xbox Cloud Gaming can also be accessed through other browsers, including Google Chrome and Safari. However, the new performance-enhancing features can only be found in Microsoft Edge.
We don't think these gaming-focused updates to Edge are enough to turn people away from other popular browsers en masse. But it's nice to see Microsoft finally giving its browser the upper hand (no pun intended) when it comes to accessing cloud gaming without a console.