How to Enable or Disable Graphics Hardware Acceleration in Microsoft Edge

What Is Hardware Acceleration?

Microsoft Edge includes a built-in feature called hardware acceleration. Turning it on shifts graphics and text rendering from your computer’s main processor (CPU) to your graphics card (GPU). This frees up processing cycles, allowing background programs to run much faster.

Why Disable Hardware Acceleration?

Hardware acceleration is enabled by default. Performance hiccups still happen occasionally. Reserve disabling hardware acceleration for troubleshooting stubborn display issues like choppy video playback or blurry fonts. Outdated graphics drivers or incompatible display adapters often trigger these conflicts.

Option 1Change Settings in Microsoft Edge

Changing Microsoft Edge hardware acceleration through the built-in browser settings lets you turn the feature on or off for your user account without changing system-wide configurations. Open the Microsoft Edge settings menu, go to the system and performance tab, and toggle the graphics switch to your preferred setting.

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three-dot menu button (top right), then click Settings. You can also press Alt+F.
3. In the left panel, click System and performance. Then click System in the right panel. If you don’t see a left panel, click the three-line menu button at the top left.
4. Find the option that says “Use graphics acceleration when available”. Turn it On (default) or Off depending on what you need.
5. Close the Settings ⚙️ tab when done.

Option 2Change Settings for All Users Using Registry

⚠️ Admin privileges required

This method applies the configuration globally and overrides individual user settings.

Windows Terminal and Registry Editor both accomplish this task. Pick one method below.

Always Turn On Hardware Acceleration for Everyone

Enabling Microsoft Edge hardware acceleration for all user accounts on a computer requires adding a specific registry key through Windows Terminal or Registry Editor. Running the provided command forces the browser to use your graphics card for rendering web pages across every user profile on the machine.

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v HardwareAccelerationModeEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

Alternatively, open Registry Editor (a built-in database for system configurations), navigate to this path, and add the required value:

Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge

Always Turn Off Hardware Acceleration for Everyone

Disabling Microsoft Edge hardware acceleration for all user accounts on a computer stops the browser from using your graphics card, which helps fix display glitches for everyone. You can enforce this rule across the whole machine by running a quick command in Windows Terminal or adding a DWORD value in Registry Editor.

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v HardwareAccelerationModeEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Alternatively, open Registry Editor (a built-in database for system configurations), navigate to this path, and add the required value:

Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge

Allow User Choice (Default)

Restoring user control requires executing this command in the terminal:

reg delete "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" /v HardwareAccelerationModeEnabled /f

Summary

Hardware acceleration in Microsoft Edge offloads rendering tasks to your graphics card, making the browser run much faster than relying solely on the central processor.