Microsoft Edge Game Assist is now available, what's new?

Back in late November 2024, Microsoft announced Edge Game Assist—a new feature that makes it easier to browse the internet while playing games on your PC. After a short testing period, Microsoft Edge Game Assist is now available to everyone in the Stable channel.

Game Assist is a special version of Microsoft Edge that is optimized for PC games and can appear on the title of game titles in the Game Bar. Microsoft Edge Game Assist eliminates the need to Alt+Tab out of the game when you need to quickly find or check something. Just press Win + G and open the browser extension. Microsoft's internal research shows that 88% of users in the PC gaming segment tend to use a web browser alongside their gaming activities, mainly for purposes such as looking up instructions, tracking progress, using streaming services, or interacting on social media platforms. That's where Microsoft Edge Game Assist comes in.

Microsoft Edge Game Assist is essentially built on the open-source Chromium platform, similar to Google Chrome and Opera, to ensure high compatibility and optimal performance. This browser is designed as an 'in-game' application, providing both traditional web browsing features and integrated support tools specifically for gamers. Game Assist provides access to contextual information and allows synchronization of web browsing data across different devices in the Microsoft ecosystem.

The beauty of this tool is that it integrates directly with the Windows Game Bar as an extension, and can be pinned to the screen, making it convenient to look up information while still maintaining gaming activity.

Microsoft Edge Game Assist is now available, what's new? Picture 1

Initially, Microsoft Edge Game Assist required Edge 132 Beta and Edge was set as the system default browser. However, Game Assist is now available on the Stable channel and no longer requires users to change their default browser. So you can continue using Chrome, Firefox, or any other browser while still having the convenience of the Game Bar browser.

While Game Assist is now generally available to all Windows 11 and Microsoft Edge users, it's still in preview and requires manual installation. Here's how to do it:

1. Make sure you're using the latest version of Microsoft Edge by visiting edge://settings/help

2. Click Settings > Appearance > Game Assist

3. Click Install​​​

4. Press Win + G to open Game Bar

5. Click Widgets > Game Assist (Preview)

Now you can place this widget anywhere or pin it to your screen.

Microsoft says future updates will add keyboard shortcuts, a dedicated Settings menu, right-click context menus, better picture-in-picture mode, and more.

Lesley Montoya

Update 24 January 2025