The term “gaming browser” is a marketing gimmick. A browser cannot do anything for you that significantly improves your gaming performance, and no one is playing flash games on their web browsers anymore. That said, if you are a gamer, especially on hardware with limited resources you may want to opt for a browser that isn’t too resource hungry.
So, we sat down and thought about the features that would make something a “gaming browser.” And we came up with three. First, the browser would have to be mindful about resource management. In other words, something that uses less RAM. Second, the browser could have some kind of reward program that could be used in microtransactions or to purchase games. And third, and probably the least important one, it would have to look like a gaming browser. So gamer aesthetics, RGB colors, dark mode and all that stuff.
And based on these features, we narrowed down our list to five browsers.
Overview of the Gaming Best Browsers
| Browser | Best For | Best Feature | |
 | Opera GX | Gaming & Productivity | GX Control & Hot Tabs Killer |
 | Edge | Efficiency | Sleeping Tabs & Vertical Tabs |
 | Brave | Privacy & Ad Blocking | Built-in Ad Blocker & VPN |
 | Firefox | Privacy & Customisability | ETP & Containers |
 | Vivaldi | Customisability | Vertical Tabs |
Opera GX – The Best Gaming Browser, Unrivalled
Opera GX is the only browser in this list that actually markets itself as a gaming browser. And to be fair, it does check all the boxes we set for what makes a gaming browser. However, Opera GX being the only self-proclaimed gaming browser, we didn’t really have anything else to use as a reference.
Control Your Resources
Opera GX has this feature called GX Control. It lets you manually limit your browser’s CPU, RAM, and network usage. So you can make sure your browser doesn’t eat up all your system resources that you’d wanna allocate elsewhere. While many browsers have subtle features like efficiency mode and memory saver mode, none of them give you the same level of control.
Everything Gaming in One Place
The other highlighted feature on Opera GX is the GX Corner. It’s a hub that contains all gaming related content, news, deals, free games, upcoming releases, and more. It’s nice to have if you’re always trying to find out what’s new in the gaming scene. And the free games alerts can be very helpful as you won’t need to check Epic Games or Prime Gaming everytime they’re a new free game.
Gaming Aesthetics
This is truly an unusual one. Opera GX has a unique UI design that makes it look like a gaming peripheral. It has RGB-style theming that integrates with Razer Chroma. Which means, your browser can sync with your gaming setup. You can also customise themes, background music and sound effects. All this might seem like a bit too much for many, especially those who use a browser for work. But gamers may have different preferences.
Built-in Ad Blocker and VPN
While this is not exactly a gaming feature, it helps in a couple of ways. The ad blocker makes sure you don’t click on misleading ads while going through your daily gaming news. And the VPN can help you get exclusive regional deals on many game stores. But more importantly, many people use ad ad blockers and VPNs with their browser, so having them built-in makes it easy on the resources.
Who is Opera GX For?
If you want a futuristic looking browser with a focus on low resource usage and gaming features, you can look into Opera GX. Just don’t expect it to boost your FPS in Cyberpunk 2077.
Microsoft Edge – A Browser Saves You Money
Microsoft Edge may not yell “gaming browser” like Opera GX, but it has a few gamer centric features with proper UI integration with Windows that makes it arguably a better gaming browser than Opera GX.
Earn Rewards Just for Browsing
Microsoft Rewards lets you earn points just by using Edge and Bing, which you can then redeem for Xbox gift cards, Game Pass subscriptions or even game discounts. It’s simple, you search with Bing, shop at select retailers, complete small challenges and rack up points over time. Is it going to fund your entire gaming library? No. But if you’re already spending money on games, getting a few freebies just for browsing sounds like a no brainer.
Get the Best Game Deals
Edge also comes with Microsoft Shopping which helps you find deals, apply coupons and track price drops automatically. If you’re the type of person who waits for Steam sales or tries to hunt down the best price on a game key, this feature saves you time. You don’t have to manually check every site for discounts, Edge does it for you. And combined with Microsoft Rewards, you’re essentially getting cashback for your gaming purchases.
A Mini Browser for Gamers
One of Edge’s most overlooked gaming features is Game Assist, which integrates directly with Xbox Game Bar on Windows. It lets you pull up a mini browser while gaming, so you can quickly look up guides, walkthroughs or patch notes without alt-tabbing. Instead of switching windows and breaking immersion, Game Assist brings the browser to you. It’s perfect for looking up boss fight strategies or crafting recipes.
Built-in and Memory Efficient
Unlike Chrome or Opera GX, Edge comes pre-installed with Windows, so no extra setup and no need to install a separate browser. And since it’s optimised for Windows, it’s also one of the most memory efficient browsers available. Features like Sleeping Tabs and Efficiency Mode help Edge use less RAM and CPU, so it won’t slow down your PC while you game.
Who is Microsoft Edge For?
If you’re a Windows user who plays games on PC or Xbox, Edge is worth it. It saves you money on games, runs more efficiently than most browsers and integrates with gaming tools like Xbox Game Bar. You won’t get a flashy “gaming UI” but you’ll get actual benefits that matter.
Brave – Get Paid To Use Your Browser
Brave is a privacy browser based on Chromium that uses very little resources. But at the same time it has built-in ad blocking, that helps eliminate ads and makes sites load faster. While they may not seem like gamer specific features, they all add up to provide a better performance. But first we gotta talk about Brave Rewards.
Earn Crypto While Browsing
Like Microsoft Edge Brave also has a rewards system but instead of Microsoft Points it gives you BAT (Basic Attention Token) a cryptocurrency that can be cashed out, donated or used to tip content creators. It’s not the same as getting game discounts or Xbox gift cards but if you like the idea of getting passive rewards just for browsing it’s a nice bonus.
Faster Load Times, Fewer Distractions
Brave Shields feature blocks ads, trackers and unnecessary scripts making web pages load faster and cleaner. This is especially useful for gaming sites like IGN, Kotaku or Reddit where ads and autoplaying videos can slow down page load. A side benefit or ad blocking is lower CPU and RAM usage, which is critical if you have limited system resources while gaming. If your browser is chugging memory in the background, that memory is not going to your game.
Privacy-Focused and Lightweight
Shields also stops trackers, fingerprinting and unwanted scripts that can be a privacy hazard while also slowing down your browser. Since it’s Chromium-based it’s as fast as Chrome but because it removes all the extra junk running in the background it’s often lighter and more efficient. As Brave is privacy-first you don’t have to worry about gaming sites tracking your activity across the web.
Who is Brave For?
If you want a gaming browser without the fluff Brave is a good choice. No ads, no tracking, lower resource usage and built-in privacy make it a fast browser for gamers.
Firefox – The Lightweight Open-Source Browser
Firefox is lighter on RAM usage while still having great customisation and privacy. For gamers who want a fast, distraction-free browsing experience that doesn’t eat into system resources, Firefox is a strong contender.
Less RAM Usage, More Power for Your Games
Unlike Chromium-based browsers like Chrome, Edge and Opera GX, Firefox uses a more efficient process model, so it can handle multiple tabs without eating into memory. If you’re playing a game in the background while using a browser, Firefox makes sure more of your RAM and CPU power goes to your game, not your web tabs. For PC gamers who stream, look up guides or manage game mods while playing, having a browser that won’t slow down your system is a big deal.
Extensions & Customisation
Firefox’s extension support is second to none outside of Chrome. You can install ad blockers like uBlock Origin, privacy extensions or even performance-boosting add-ons that strip down unnecessary web elements to make pages load even faster.
And if visuals matter, Firefox’s UI is one of the most customisable out there. You can move buttons, change the theme and even create a minimalist gaming setup with only the essentials visible.
Privacy-Focused, No Tracking, No Bloat
Firefox is one of the few browsers that isn’t owned by a big tech company, so no hidden tracking or unnecessary background processes. It has containers that prevents sites like Facebook from tracking you or accessing your cookies. While this isn’t a gaming feature per se, it means less data-harvesting junk running in the background, which makes your browsing experience faster and lighter.
Who is Firefox For?
If you want a browser that’s light on resources, highly customisable and independent from Big Tech, Firefox is a good choice. It won’t win points for gamer aesthetics, but it prioritises efficiency, privacy and flexibility. All things that matter to gamers who want a fast, distraction-free browsing experience without eating into system resources.
Vivaldi – The Most Customisable Browser
If you care about looks, customisation and productivity it might be the best one out there. It’s the only browser that lets you fully control how it looks and works, so perfect for gamers who like to tweak their setup to match their workflow or gaming rig.
Make It Look Like a Gaming Browser (Or Anything You Want)
Most browsers have light and dark modes and some custom themes. Vivaldi goes way beyond that. You can customise everything, from colour scheme to button placement, tab styles and even how menus work. If you want your browser to match your gaming setup you can do that. If you want a super minimal UI that gets out of the way you can do that too. Vivaldi also has adaptive themes, so it can change colours based on the time of day or match the dominant colour of the website you’re on. So if you’re browsing Steam or Discord, Vivaldi blends in with the experience.
Ultimate Tab & Window Management
Gamers are power users, and Vivaldi is built for them. Unlike other browsers where tabs turn into a mess, Vivaldi lets you stack tabs so they stay organised without taking up extra space. Tile tabs so you can have multiple pages open in a grid. For example you can check guides while watching a stream. You can use Workspaces to switch between gaming, work and personal browsing profiles instantly. Few other browsers give you this level of control.
Productivity Powerhouse for Gamers
If you game while streaming, creating content or even just multitasking, Vivaldi’s sidebar and built-in tools can help. You can keep Twitch, Discord or YouTube open in a panel without switching tabs. It also has a built-in Notes app for jotting down strategies or keeping track of game updates. There’s a full email client and RSS reader for following gaming news. And you can use Command Chains that let you automate browser actions with shortcuts.
Who is Vivaldi For?
If you’re a gamer who likes to customise everything, Vivaldi is for you. It’s not the fastest and it doesn’t have gaming dashboards, but it lets you make your browser look exactly how you want.
Wrapping Up
A gaming browser won’t boost your FPS or magically make an unsupported game run on your PC, but it can make your overall gaming experience better. Some let you free up resources, which might give you a slight performance boost. Browsers that give you rewards for browsing and completing challenges can come in handy if you’re a few bucks short when buying a new game. And while you may hate microtransactions, getting paid skins with free money isn’t that bad of an idea.
All that said, don’t use a gaming browser just for the sake of using a gaming browser. Instead do your research and check which browser has the best features that suit your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Opera GX good for gaming?
Opera GX won’t boost your FPS, but it’s one of the only browsers designed for gamers. GX Control lets you limit RAM, CPU and network usage, so your browser doesn’t eat up resources that could be used for gaming. It also has gaming news, free game alerts and integrations for Twitch and Discord built in, so it’s a good choice if you want a browser that looks and feels gaming focused.
Can a browser affect online gaming?
Yes, but only in specific situations. If you’re playing a browser based game, a lightweight browser with good resource management will give you a smoother experience. If you have a browser open in the background while gaming, one that eats up too much RAM or CPU can slow down your system. If you’re online gaming and your browser is downloading updates or running unnecessary background scripts it could affect your ping or latency.
Which browser is best for cloud gaming?
For Xbox Cloud Gaming (Game Pass Ultimate), Microsoft Edge is the best browser because it’s officially optimised for Xbox Game Pass streaming. It has better controller support, reduced input lag and a better streaming experience than other browsers. For GeForce Now, Amazon Luna or Google Stadia (RIP), Chrome and Edge are generally the best.
Do gaming browsers increase FPS?
No, a browser can’t increase FPS in your games. However a browser that consumes less resources (RAM and CPU) can give your system more power to your game, so you’ll see better overall performance. Features like Opera GX’s resource limiter or Edge’s Sleeping Tabs can reduce background usage, but they won’t directly impact the FPS of a game you’re playing.