What just happened? Microsoft has long tried to attract users to Edge by adding more features. The latest addition appears to be a Games panel, though it's hard to imagine many people switching to Edge just because they can play casual games directly in the Chromium-based browser.
Redditor u/Leopeva64-2 spotted a Games button toggle in the Appearance settings of the latest version of Edge Canary. Enabling the feature adds a Games button on the browser's omnibar, next to the address bar.
Clicking on the button will bring up a panel on the right side of Edge filled with browser-based titles, many from the MSN Games page, sorted into categories that include Arcade, Board & Card, Puzzle, Sports, Casual, Microsoft classics, and more. Clicking on one of the titles will launch it directly in the browser.
Edge had a 4.19% share of the browser market as of November, according to Statcounter. While that's more than Firefox's 3.19%, it's a long way off leader Chrome's 64%.
Microsoft has been trying to entice more people onto its product recently, though its methods may sound better in the boardroom than in practice. The company earlier this month told those trying to download "so 2008" Chrome that Edge was better; the buy now, pay later app integrated into Edge was met with anger from users; and there was the whole Windows 11 debacle, though it has since softened its stance when it comes to switching from the default browser.
We don't know when the Games panel option will arrive for Edge users in other channels, assuming that it does, but judging from the comments on Reddit, a lot of people aren't happy about the addition. "Here comes the bloat!" wrote Encrypted_Curse, while nickthaskater asked "Why the hell does Edge need games built in?"