Like many internet users, I’ve been using Google Chrome as my daily driver for years, with a few months of struggling with Mozzila’s Firefox in between.
Now, of course, Google Chrome is great, which is why it has a majority of the browser’s market share. However, with my bread and butter earned from working on my PC, the Chrome experience became too dull and monotonous. And we all know how infamous Chrome is for crashing when multiple tabs are running at once. It uses more CPU and RAM than other browsers and has very limited customization options.
About a month ago I switched to using Opera’s GX browser full-time, and my experience so far has been good.
First of all, it is worth noting that Opera was bought by a group of Chinese investors in 2016, and many users are hesitant to use software owned by Chinese companies due to privacy concerns. Skeptics say the browser sells your data and uses it for targeted advertising. The company refutes all of these claims, although it is also in its best interest.
GX is based on Chromium, the same open-source web browser project from Google that powers the Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Brave browsers, and includes the same security measures. However, security does not always equate to privacy. The browser’s GX Corner gaming news feature is reported to collect data anonymously to provide relevant news to users, and the company monetizes it.
However, Google-owned Chrome is notorious for collecting user data, and so is the search engine, and personalized ads are a reality that is hard to escape today. If you already use Google products, Amazon or Facebook, the information from the browser power collect is no different from those platforms. If you’re okay with that level of anonymous data collection, read on. If not, the Tor browser might be a better choice for you.
OperaGX is a browser aimed at gamers and runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android. One of the main features that makes GX attractive is the extensive customization options it offers, including themes, custom wallpapers, browser sounds, and background music for the browser. The stock look screams “gamer” and customization only adds to the appeal.
The ability to customize the look of the browser so as not to yell “gamer” at all times is also beneficial. And not just visually, the browser lets you customize how it sounds, with different tones for typing, Tab open, Limiters, Click, Hover, Tab Slash and more. You can also mute or lower these sounds if you prefer to work in absolute silence, although in my experience they add a nice element to the work.
It all uses the same keyboard shortcuts I was used to with Chrome, such as Ctrl+Tab to switch between tabs.
The browser also includes a fully customizable sidebar of messenger applications such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Twitter, and Discord, allowing you to stay connected while surfing or working directly from the browser.
Another useful feature is the browser’s media player, with Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, SoundCloud, and YouTube music integrated directly into the sidebar.
OperaGX also has an integrated Crypto wallet, although I haven’t played with it at all as MetaMask does the work for me.
Just like YouTube has a pop-out media player on mobile, OperaGX automatically puts a video you’re watching into a small picture-in-picture box when you navigate to another tab, making it easy to watch a YouTube video. tutorial to follow while you actually perform the steps it might teach you. You can resize the picture-in-picture window and even make it translucent, so you can keep browsing without missing any of the streaming action.
Other useful features include “My Flow”, which allows you to transfer files and messages from OperaGX mobile browser directly to your web browser, a simple shortcut for uploading files from your mobile, “Tab Previews”, which allows you to use the mouse over a tab and see what it is without having to open it, “Tab Search”, which allows you to search for a specific tab when you have several open, the ability to display all pages in dark mode, if the specific page only runs in light mode, a built-in adblocker and a built-in VPN that is completely free to use.
As mentioned before, the browser has a built-in section called “GX Corner” which is all things gaming related. It includes a game release calendar section with all upcoming titles for Windows, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, Mac, Linux, and Stadia. If you scroll down the same page below, you’ll see a “Top 10 Game Releases in August” section, followed by a list of games that are currently free to download/play on the above platforms.
Other sections in GX Corner include a “Top Female Protagonist” game slider, game deals, upcoming game trailers and daily gaming news. In short, a one-stop shop for all your gaming information needs.
The “GX Control” in the sidebar lets you control how many RAM and CPU tabs eat with a click, in addition to the ability to limit how much bandwidth OperaGX can use, how much RAM the browser can use, and how much CPU power the browser can consume. , a welcome addition if you’re playing strenuous games while also having side browsers open on a second monitor. Performance-wise, even without using the RAM or CPU limiters, OperaGX didn’t slow down my PC and felt fast and snappy, even with multiple tabs open at the same time as I was gaming at the same time.
Overall, I think OperaGX is a fresh browser that isn’t boring to use, offers a lot of customization settings that allow you to personalize the browser to your taste, and offers a lot of useful tools like the RAM and CPU usage limiter, in addition to friendly shortcuts for built-in messaging apps and music players that might convince you not to go back to Chrome or Firefox.
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