Chrome’s new WebGPU tech promises new era for browser games

Google Chrome on macOS
(Image credit: Shutterstock - slyellow)

Google is rolling out the first iteration of WebGPU which will allow the Chrome browser to use a computer’s graphics card to enhance web-based video games and their graphical fidelity.

The new API (Application Programming Interface) is the result of a six-year development cycle by the GPU for the Web Community Group with contributions from several tech giants like Mozilla, Apple, and Microsoft. As a successor to the current WebGL model, WebGPU is said to lessen the “JavaScript workload” for its browser as well as triple the performance of “machine learning model inferences.” The end goal is to have browser games sporting “highly-detailed scenes with many different objects” as “many modern rendering techniques” will be now possible. Pre-existing titles like those found on Javascript 3D libraries like Babylon.js will see an improvement too.

Outside of gaming, the API can be used by productivity apps to “offload computations to the GPU. Teleconferencing platforms like Google Meet can utilize the improved machine learning to run more efficiently, according to the WebGPU Explainer

WebGPU is currently available as a default setting on the beta version of Chrome 113, which is available for download on Windows, ChromeOS, and macOS. However, at least for the first two systems, you'll have to meet a few system requirements. Windows devices must support Direct3D 12 while ChromeOS devices must have the Vulkan API enabled. If you prefer to wait for a stable launch instead, Chrome 113 will officially launch with WebGPU on April 26.

For early adopters like us, Google provides a couple of resources so people can see the API in action. We tried out several games found in the Babylon.js library on both Chrome 111 and the Chrome 113 beta to see if there were any significant upgrades. Single-player titles like Temple Run 2 didn’t really have a big performance boost apart from being slightly faster. However, with Shell Shockers, a free FPS (first-person shooter) multiplayer game, we did notice faster load times and a smoother frame rate. Graphics-wise, none of the games looked any different, but keep in mind, adoption is just beginning. To see what WebGPU is graphically capable of, Babylon.js has a free tech demo on its website.

As for other browsers, Google states WebGPU support for Firefox and Safari is still “a work in progress”. Linux and Android devices are also slated to get the API later down the line. No official word for iOS release, but considering the macOS support, it’s probably only a matter of time. 

If you’re looking for another way to procrastinate, check out TechRadar’s list of the best free web browser games.

Cesar Cadenas
Contributor

Cesar Cadenas has been writing about the tech industry for several years now specializing in consumer electronics, entertainment devices, Windows, and the gaming industry. But he’s also passionate about smartphones, GPUs, and cybersecurity. 

Read more
Google Chrome browser icon
A new split-screen feature is coming to Google Chrome, and it's surprisingly powerful
A young teenager is playing a PC game and celebrating a victory.
What's next for PC gaming in 2025?
The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 could power the latest generation of powerful mini PCs
This prototype mini PC demonstrates a massive leap forward for integrated graphics in a console form factor
Snapdragon G Series
Qualcomm poised to muscle in on AMD's territory with powerful gaming handheld processors
A render of an Intel CPU in a futuristic PC.
Intel makes its XeSS 2 upscaling tech easier to add to games - here's why that's good news for PC gamers with tight budgets
A man riding a rocket with the AMD Ryzen logo on the side.
AMD raises the bar for gaming on lightweight laptops – its new Strix Halo chip could run games better than an Nvidia RTX 3060
Latest in GPU
Zotac Gaming RTX 5090 Graphics Card
Nvidia Blackwell stock woes are compounded by price hikes as more RTX 5090 GPUs soar in pricing, and I’m sick and tired of it all at this point
Nvidia app
Tired of manually optimizing your games? Nvidia's new G-Assist could save you time
Nvidia RTX 5080 against a yellow TechRadar background
RTX 5080 24GB version teased by MSI - is it time to admit that 16GB isn't enough for 4K?
Nvidia AMD
Nvidia rumors suggest it's working on two affordable GPUs to spoil AMD's party
An Nvidia RTX 5080 vs RTX 4080 Super against a two-tone background
Nvidia RTX 5080 vs RTX 4080 Super: should you upgrade to the latest Blackwell GPU?
An Intel Arc B580 vs Nvidia RTX 4060 against a two-tone background
Intel Arc B580 vs Nvidia RTX 4060: Which mainstream GPU is right for you?
Latest in News
Lenovo | Thinkpad T14s Gen 6 Snapdragon
Windows 11’s latest patch declares war on BIOS updates for some Lenovo laptops, blocking them as a security risk in a bizarre turn of events
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream screenshot showing a Mii smelling some fresh flowers.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is a sequel to my favorite 3DS game, and I think it's already packing the charm that inZOI lacks
Google Pixel Watch 3 side dial and button
Google Gemini reportedly spotted on Wear OS – could a rollout be close at hand?
Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con up-close from app store
Nintendo's new app gave us another look at the Switch 2, and there's something different with the Joy-Con
cheap Nintendo Switch game deals sales
Nintendo didn't anticipate that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was 'going to be the juggernaut' for the Nintendo Switch when it was ported to the console, according to former employees
Toni Collette in Hereditary
Everything leaving Netflix in April 2025 – from the scariest movie ever made to a beloved DreamWorks animation with 99% on Rotten Tomatoes