Starting with version 128, Microsoft Edge will only run on devices with an SSE3 instruction

Microsoft is revising the hardware requirements for its Edge web browser and plans to change them in the coming months.

To continue to run Microsoft Edge, personal computers must have an SSE3 instruction, and this change will be made with the release of Edge 128; previously, Microsoft wanted to start this new hardware setup with the release of Edge 126, but the Redmond-based tech giant has chosen to postpone this demand.

The change is most likely a means to give users the necessary time to change their devices. In the message on their M365 Admin Center app, Microsoft said that devices that do not have SSE3 support would begin showing a banner in Edge versions 126 and 127 to alert users about ending support soon.

According to reports, although Edge 128 will continue working on these older machines, it won’t get any fresh characteristics or safety improvements. Microsoft’s position is obvious: it’s advised not to use Edge 128 if SSE3 support is absent.

The change of requirements shows a broader pattern in the tech field to reduce the use of old hardware. The SSE3 instruction set was included around 2004, so it’s not new technology. The devices impacted by this alteration are essentially technological dinosaurs in the swiftly changing world of personal computing. The reality is that this change will affect only a small fraction of PCs.

But this change makes us think about finding an equilibrium between advancement and availability. One side shows that updating software to use new hardware capabilities can improve performance and safety. The other side is that it leaves behind people who have older devices. Microsoft’s choice to postpone the hardware requirement alteration for Edge indicates how tech firms still struggle with such issues.

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