WebGPU is coming to Google chrome, a new API that will allow the web browser to access the resources of the graphics chip of your device in a wider way than previously seen, with important implications for browser gaming and AI applications. WebGPU will be available with Chrome 113, which is expected to be released in approximately three weeks, on Windows (only on systems that support Direct3D 12), macOS and Chrome OS (only on systems that support Vulkan).
According to Google, WebGPU allows developers to achieve the same graphical results with much less code; the developers even go so far as to claim that in AI/machine learning models, performance triples, nothing less. As far as gaming is concerned, you can get an idea of its potential by heading to THIS Babylon.js tech demo with an already WebGPU-enabled version of Chrome (Chrome or Edge Canary or Beta are OK).
Google has been working on this API for years. The first announcement dates back to 2017and debuted in 2021 in the most experimental versions of the web browser. Despite this, the company says the initial version will only be a starting point: the promise is of more advanced graphics features, even more direct access to shader cores, and improvement to development tools.
It is worth noting that WebGPU is not an exclusive Chrome standard: not only is it part of Chromium, and therefore all browsers based on it (an example above all: Microsoft Edge) will be able to exploit it, but it could also be implemented by products with alternative engines such as Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari. In addition, Google aims to expand its compatibility with other operating systems, such as Android and Linux.
