WebGPU
The successor to WebGL with dramatically better performance and GPU compute support. Enables ML inference on GPU, real-time ray tracing, physics simulation, and AAA-quality rendering in the browser. Ships in Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.
What It Defines
Next-generation GPU API for the web, exposing modern GPU capabilities (Vulkan/Metal/D3D12-class). Defines GPUDevice, command encoders, bind groups, render/compute pipelines, shader modules (WGSL), and explicit resource management. Supports both rendering and general-purpose GPU compute.
Canonical (Normative)
Convenient (Practical)
Related References
Publishes web platform specs including CSS, accessibility, security policies, Service Workers, Web App Manifest, and many browser APIs. Also maintains some versioned HTML/DOM specs.
Related Specs
The established GPU rendering API in browsers. Powers Three.js, Babylon.js, PixiJS, MapboxGL, Google Earth, and countless games and visualizations. WebGL 2.0 has near-universal support and is the baseline for serious graphics work.
The standard for browser-based VR/AR: headset rendering, controller input, room-scale tracking, and AR overlays. Supports Meta Quest, Apple Vision Pro, HoloLens, and phone-based AR. Works with WebGL and WebGPU for rendering.