Microsoft Edge scores better benchmark results than IE11, Chrome, and Firefox

After months of teasing and speculation, Windows Insiders and intrigued media finally received an official name for Microsoft’s new browser initiative. The browser formerly known as Project Spartan received its official name, Edge, yesterday during the opening keynote at Build 2015.

Some features were listed and some speakers touched on how and where the new browser fits in Microsoft’s redefined ecosystem. During day two of presentations for Build 2015, more time was dedicated to explaining further the minutia of Edge.

According to Microsoft, Edge is setting higher and better benchmarks than Internet Explorer 11 and comparable or better to other modern day browsers. Even in Octane 2.0 benchmarks, Edge outpaced Internet Explorer 11 and scored higher than Chrome Canary and Firefox Alpha.

For those that didn’t know, Octane 2.0 is a modern benchmark from Google that measures a JavaScript engine’s performance by running a suite of tests representative of today’s complex and demanding web applications. Octane‘s goal is to measure the performance of JavaScript code found in large, real-world web applications, running on modern mobile and desktop browsers.

With the JetStream benchmark, Edge beat our Internet Explorer 11, Chrome, and Firefox yet again. JetStream combines a variety of JavaScript benchmarks, covering a variety of advanced workloads and programming techniques, and reports a single score that balances them using geometric mean.

Microsoft attributes these leaps in performance to the more than 4,200 interoperability improvements the new browser maintains. The Edge browser was designed to help developers focus on content rather than browser compatibility moving forward, according to the development team behind Edge.

Also included in the Edge presentation was the ability to turn websites into apps that leverage unique Windows 10 features like Xbox live achievements. During a demo, we had a chance to see a flight simulator that was (admittedly basic) web app, that with few lines of code implemented, turned into a universal app. The same web-app flight simulator became a native platform app the used Cortana search commands to play in game levels that were deep-linked while also receiving Xbox Live achievements during gameplay.

While this news is rather impressive, its seems to be only part of the story for Edge. We’re sure to see more information on how Edge can be leveraged in the Windows Store, Windows Phone, and Enterprise. We’ll keep you posted, stay tuned!