WebGL Test
Test WebGL 1.0 and 2.0 support, check GPU extensions, and verify your browser's 3D rendering capabilities.
How Does the WebGL Test Work?
- The tool attempts to create WebGL 1.0 and 2.0 rendering contexts.
- It reads all available GPU parameters and capabilities from the context.
- A test render is performed to verify your GPU can actually draw content.
- All supported extensions are listed so you can check compatibility.
What Is WebGL and Why Does It Matter?
WebGL (Web Graphics Library) is a JavaScript API that gives web pages direct access to your GPU for rendering 2D and 3D graphics. It's the technology behind browser-based games, interactive data visualizations, 3D product viewers, virtual tours, and creative coding tools like Shadertoy and three.js demos. Without WebGL, these applications would need to fall back to slow, CPU-based rendering — or simply wouldn't work at all.
WebGL is based on OpenGL ES, the same graphics standard used by Android and embedded devices. Every major browser — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge — supports WebGL, and it works across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. It runs without plugins, installs, or permissions. If your browser supports it, it just works.
WebGL 1.0 vs. WebGL 2.0
WebGL 1.0, based on OpenGL ES 2.0, has been universally supported since around 2011. It provides the core feature set: shaders (vertex and fragment), textures, framebuffers, and basic GPU compute. Most browser-based 3D content still targets WebGL 1.0 for maximum compatibility.
WebGL 2.0, based on OpenGL ES 3.0, adds substantial capabilities that modern applications need:
- 3D textures and texture arrays — essential for volumetric rendering and efficient sprite atlases.
- Multiple render targets — lets shaders write to several textures simultaneously, enabling deferred shading and post-processing pipelines.
- Transform feedback — captures vertex shader output into a buffer for GPU-side particle systems and physics simulations.
- Integer textures and non-power-of-two textures — removes constraints that forced older content to pad textures to dimensions like 256×256 or 1024×1024.
WebGL 2.0 is supported by all modern browsers. Safari was the last major holdout, adding support in version 15 (2021). If this tool shows WebGL 2.0 as unavailable, you're likely using a very old browser or device.
Troubleshooting WebGL Issues
When WebGL fails, the cause is almost always one of three things. First, hardware acceleration may be disabled in your browser settings. In Chrome, go to Settings → System and confirm "Use hardware acceleration when available" is toggled on, then restart the browser. Firefox has the same toggle under Settings → Performance.
Second, your GPU driver may be blacklisted. Browsers maintain lists of GPU/driver combinations known to crash or produce rendering errors. If your driver version is on that list, the browser disables WebGL entirely. Updating your GPU driver usually resolves this — download the latest from nvidia.com, amd.com, or intel.com for your specific hardware.
Third, on very old hardware or virtual machines without GPU passthrough, the browser falls back to SwiftShader — a software-based renderer that emulates the GPU on the CPU. SwiftShader supports WebGL but runs orders of magnitude slower than real hardware. If this tool reports SwiftShader as your renderer, it means no hardware GPU is available to the browser.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is WebGL?
- WebGL (Web Graphics Library) is a JavaScript API for rendering 2D and 3D graphics in the browser using your GPU. It enables hardware-accelerated graphics without plugins.
- What is the difference between WebGL 1.0 and 2.0?
- WebGL 2.0 is based on OpenGL ES 3.0 and adds features like 3D textures, transform feedback, multiple render targets, and improved shader capabilities. Most modern browsers support WebGL 2.0.
- Why is WebGL not working?
- WebGL may be disabled in your browser settings, blocked by your GPU driver, or unsupported on very old hardware. Try enabling hardware acceleration in your browser settings.