Microsoft Edge's web platform gets massive improvements with Windows 10 Build 14986

Today, Microsoft released Windows 10 Build 14986 with some major new features across Cortana, Windows Ink, and more. Along with Cortana, Microsoft is also introducing some major improvements to the default browser in Windows 10 — and that is, of course, Microsoft Edge.

The build introduces partial support for CSS variables to Microsoft Edge, which is undoubtedly one of the most talked about features in web development and design at the moment. The update also brings performance improvements to the DOM, which will possibly make sites load a tiny bit faster. Other additions include core platform support for the Fetch API and support for the Brotli data format as an HTTP content-encoding method.

Here’s the full list of new features that are being added to Edge’s web platform with build 14986:

• Support for the Brotli compressed data format (on by default) as an HTTP content-encoding method
• Support for the individual transform syntax for CSS transforms (behind a flag)
• Updated the MS-prefixed FIDO 2.0 implementation to match the latest W3C Web Authentication specification
• Partial support for CSS Custom Properties (aka CSS Variables)
• Preliminary implementation of the Payment Request DOM API (Behind a flag)
• Preliminary support for the IntersectionObserver API
• Core platform support for Fetch abstraction (behind a flag)
• Async/await is on by default (previously behind a flag)
• DOM performance improvements

Along with the above web developments, Microsoft is also introducing improved debugging experience for ES6 Modules, and some other debugging improvements:

• Console filter settings will persist for buttons and context menu.
• Improved ES6 Modules debugging experience
• Fixed an issue that prevented attaching the F12 Developer Tools to Windows web apps

As you can see, Edge has picked up quite a lot of improvements with build 14986. With the upcoming builds, Microsoft will likely add new features to the browser itself, which should be pretty exciting to see.