If your processor lacks the SSE3 instruction set, you won’t be able to run the latest versions of the Edge web browser for much longer.
Starting with version 128, Microsoft Edge will no longer support older processors that don’t include SSE3. This change is unlikely to affect many users, as most systems with such outdated hardware are no longer in use.
The SSE3 instruction set was first introduced with Intel’s Pentium 4 processors, specifically from the Prescott revision released in 2004. AMD followed suit a year later by incorporating parts of SSE3 into its Athlon 64 processors. Given that this technology has been widely available for nearly 20 years, most modern computers already meet this requirement.
If you still need to use older hardware, you might consider switching to a browser like Supermium, which supports both legacy hardware and older operating systems. However, it’s worth noting that we don’t recommend using outdated technology due to security risks. Supermium requires only SSE2 to function.
While Windows 10 does not require SSE3, the hardware demands will increase with Windows 11, which will require SSE4.2 starting from version 24H2. Like SSE3, SSE4.2 is nearly two decades old, so most current systems should be compatible.
Google Chrome, which is based on Chromium, dropped support for processors without SSE3 over three years ago. Microsoft Edge maintained support for longer, but even Microsoft now agrees that it’s time to move forward. Version 128 of Edge will be rolled out in the second half of August.
