Microsoft Edge Upgrades with WebUI 2.0 for Enhanced Speed
Approximately a year ago, Microsoft initiated a significant transition from React to WebUI 2.0 for its Edge browser, aimed at improving performance, particularly on lower-spec devices lacking high-speed processors and SSDs. The journey kicked off with the implementation of WebUI 2.0 in the Browser Essentials interface in Edge version 122. Now, Microsoft is taking further steps to enhance more elements of the browser.
Performance Boost Across Multiple Interfaces
In a recent blog post, Microsoft revealed that an impressive “no less than 14” user interface components within Microsoft Edge have migrated to WebUI 2.0, moving away from React. Key elements, including Favorites, Browser Essentials, and Downloads, have all seen performance enhancements, with loading times improving by an average of up to 40%.For instance, you can witness a remarkable reduction in time taken for the downloads interface, loading over 50% quicker:
Moreover, another demonstration highlights the significant speed improvement in loading the Browser Essentials section:
Innovative Architecture Behind the Improvements
According to Microsoft, these remarkable performance gains stem from a strategic reduction in code bundle sizes and eliminating unnecessary code overlap among components. In the company’s words:
In this project, we built an entirely new markup-first architecture that minimizes the size of our bundles of code, and the amount of JavaScript code that runs during the initialization path of the UI. This new internal UI architecture is more modular, and we now rely on a repository of web components that are tuned for performance on modern web engines.
Future Enhancements on the Horizon
While Edge has already transitioned many components to utilize WebUI 2.0, numerous other critical interface areas remain to be enhanced. Upcoming updates for Microsoft Edge will extend WebUI 2.0 capabilities to additional sections such as Settings, print preview, Read Aloud, among others.
Version Updates and Additional Features
All these enhancements will be available in Microsoft Edge version 132, released in January 2025. To verify your Edge version, navigate to edge://settings/help or edge://version. Furthermore, Microsoft has rolled out a notable update for the built-in Surf game within Edge, featuring an array of customization options, a new game mode, reworked graphics, and much more.
For further details, check out the source.
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