Phenquestions
Opera Software unveiled its Opera GX web browser in June 2019 after it released a teaser a month earlier. The web browser was specifically designed for gamers and the three core features that the initial version focused on were design, gaming news and options to limit the browser's CPU and RAM usage.
The design of the Opera GX browser set it apart from most desktop browsers; its color scheme, use of sound, and layout resembled how modern computer games look like. The core of the browser is identical to the main Opera desktop browser; it is based on Chromium just like Opera or Chrome are.
Opera Software announced recently that the Opera GX web browser has been downloaded more than one million times already. The latest version of Opera GX, released on September 12, 2019, introduces a number of new features to the application.
Opera GX update: network limiter and more
The big new feature in the new Opera GX version is the built-in network limiter. It complements the RAM and CPU limiter that have been a part of the browser since launch.
The feature is disabled by default but may be disabled with a click from the GX Control panel that is displayed by default. Just toggle Network Limiter and select one of the available bandwidth limits to set the threshold.
The default limit is set to 1 Mb/s and presets range from 64 KB/s to 25 MB/s. Options to set a custom limit are not available.
Opera Software lists several scenarios where the network limiter may come in handy, among them limiting downloads to make sure that Internet games work fine, to limit streaming services while playing games, or when the network is slow.
The limit applies to the browser as a whole and that means that Internet services that you run outside of the browser benefit from setting those limits. The same is true for the RAM and CPU limiter.
The Gaming Corner provides information and news about upcoming and popular games. A release calendar has been added in the new version that highlights upcoming game releases.
Opera GX may customize the selection by clicking on the preferences icon and selecting the platforms and sections that they are interested in. You could limit the display to PC and Linux games only, or disable deals to see upcoming releases and news only.
Opera GX supported the streaming service Twitch from the very first release. Twitch users may sign-in to their Twitch account from within the browser to manage channels and quickly tune-in to a channel.
The latest update introduces options to hover over a channel to display the cover of the game that is streamed on the channel at the time. Another new option is a filter list for subscribed channels to find channels more quickly, and new preferences to enable or disable sound and search, and to change the layout and hover style.
Closing Words
Opera GX is a specialized browser that puts a strong focus on gaming and design. While it is almost certainly true that it will never reach the audience of the main Opera web browser, it cannot be denied that it has the potential to establish itself as a niche browser for gamers and streamers.
Now You: Did you try Opera GX? What is your impression?
