“This company reeks of desperation”: Microsoft is giving away $1 million and a Mercedes-Benz just to get you to use Edge

Last week, I indicated that I was one step closer to ditching Google Chrome for Microsoft Edge after Microsoft found a workaround to restore background play through its experimental browser, Microsoft Edge Canary. For context, Google recently disabled YouTube’s background play feature on third-party mobile browsers, explaining that the functionality is reserved exclusively for Premium subscribers.

Microsoft is now making the switch to Edge from other browsers more enticing than ever. An in-browser promotion highlights a sweepstakes with a staggering $2 million prize pool. The rewards include a $1 million cash grand prize, three Mercedes-Benz cars, and thousands of instant-win prizes (via Neowin).

It's worth noting that only users in the US, Canada, Mexico, and select European countries are eligible to participate in the promotion. What's more, the sweepstakes is still active and is expected to run through May 21, 2026, at midnight PT.

According to our sister site Tom’s Hardware, the promotion has been running for over a month, but it’s only now beginning to attract broader media attention. This seemingly says the quiet part about the browser's user base out loud.

You can increase your chances of winning by "visiting the sweepstakes page, sharing personalized links to the page with friends and family, using the Microsoft Rewards extension, redeeming Microsoft Rewards rewards, leveraging the Bing and Copilot mobile apps, and trying Bing Image Creator, Video Creator, and Copilot Search."

Perhaps more interestingly, there are PC-specific ways that could also help increase your chances of winning, including enabling OneDrive backups on Windows 10 and Windows 11, setting Microsoft Edge as the default browser on your OC, visiting the Lenovo and Acer Copilot+ PC product pages, and using the Microsoft Store to download apps and games.

To participate in the promotion and stand the chance to win the $1 million cash prize or one of the Mercedes-Benz cars, head over to the sweepstakes page and sign in to join the rewards program.

Participants won't be required to make any payments to accrue more entries. However, you can use Microsoft Rewards to garner more points and entries. The maximum is 465 entries per user.

As it happens, Microsoft is overhauling its Microsoft Rewards program's user experience with three new membership levels, more ways to earn, and additional perks.

Windows Central take: Microsoft Edge feels bloated

Microsoft Edge is undoubtedly a great browser with a unique user experience. However, I'd argue that it ships with a ton of features that might not necessarily be useful to an average user looking to do some basic shopping, research, or even watch videos on YouTube.

As a result, the tech giant has been sending some of these features to the Microsoft Graveyard before they hit their prime time. Last year, Microsoft retired Edge's Sidebar app list as part of its broader strategy to simplify the app's user experience.

I decided to head over to the r/microsoft subreddit on Reddit to see what Windows enthusiasts think about the change. Some users noted that Microsoft Edge outperforms Google Chrome in terms of battery life and RAM management, while others dismissed the promotion as old news, pointing out that Microsoft resorts to similar tactics every year.

"It is not going to happen microslop," one user indicated. "This company reeks of desperation," another lamented.

Microsoft is giving away $1 million and a Benz to attract users to Edge from r/microsoft

In 2024, Mozilla claimed that Microsoft doesn't give users the freedom of choice when selecting the default browser on Windows 11, further accusing the software giant of using 'harmful designs' and deceptive tactics to tip the scales in its favor.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.