When we think of a game offering killer graphics, it's usually because we're running it off dedicated hardware instead of in software like in the olden days. Now Google has officially unveiled a new API for its Chrome browser called WebGPU that will let your GPU handle some heavy lifting when running games and other GPU-based workloads. The new API will be enabled by default in Chrome 113, which is currently only offered in the beta channel. It's expected to receive a public release in a few weeks, and Google will also expand its availability to other browsers in the future as well. WebGPU can run on Windows, ChromeOS, and macOS, but it'll also come to Android and Linux in the future.
In a blog post announcing the new API, Google says it will offer immediate, tangible benefits. Those include offering the same performance in JavaScript workloads with much less code and up to a 3X boost in machine learning inferences. The latter might be handy shortly now that every browser on the market seems to integrate chatbots and generative AI. Google's new API is superior to the existing WebGL used for Javascript due to "more flexible GPU programming and access to advanced capabilities that WebGL does not provide," according to Google.
The API harnesses a discrete GPU for rendering and "computation operations," similar to Metal, Vulkan, and Direct3D. However, it's being developed for the Web as a platform instead of just games or applications. As such, Google says it's tailor-made to developers as it will offer "great error messages." The company says this first release is just a building block for the future, and it hopes it will spark a renaissance in web graphics. It's even encouraging developers to send requests for new features.
Google says the API results from a collaborative effort by the W3C "GPU for the Web" Community, which comprises companies designing an interface between GPUs and the Web. It includes contributions from Apple, Intel, Microsoft, and Mozilla. According to The Verge, WebGPU should be available on Mozilla and Safari browsers soon. Google and its partners have been working on this project for six years, with development starting back in 2017.
If you're curious to try it out, be on the lookout for Chrome 113 in May.
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