Opera's gaming browser can slow down browsing for smoother streaming

Opera GX, a web browser designed specifically for gaming, can now throttle browsing speeds to free up bandwidth when you're playing.

The browser, from the team behind the regular Opera, is packed with tools designed to appeal to PC gamers, including Twitch integration, RAM and CPU optimization tools, and access to special discounts on popular titles.

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The latest release lets you throttle the browser itself to free up more bandwidth for gaming and streaming simultaneously. Choose your preferred limit from a drop-down menu, and the browser will stick to it.

“Many of us like to stream music from YouTube or a Netflix film in our browser while playing a game and streaming the gameplay in parallel. This requires a lot of bandwidth and, sometimes, your browser might get needy, using up too much of it as a result. We’ve fixed that,” said Maciej Kocemba, product director Opera GX.

What's next...

Opera GX now also includes a game release calendar, letting you see all upcoming launches at a glance without trawling the web,

There's also improved Twitch support, including the ability to filter your list of followed channels, plus improved Razer Chroma support. Opera GX has let you choose custom colors since launch, but now transitions between hues are smoother.

Opera GX release calendar

You might prefer to stick with your regular browser for everyday use, but for gaming sessions, it's well worth taking Opera GX for a spin. As we've seen previously, Opera isn't afraid to experiment with new features ahead of other developers (such as a built-in cryptocurrency wallet and free VPN), so there could be some interesting additions on the horizon.