How to Build 60fps 3D AR Experiences in the Browser with WebGPU

TL;DR

• You’ll build: a simple web-based AR demo that renders a 3D object in the real world at 60 FPS, no native app required.
• You’ll do: Get browser support → Install/enable WebGPU → Run an AR sample → Integrate WebGPU into your web app → Test on a device (or emulator).
• You’ll need: Chrome (Canary for AR) with WebGPU enabled, an ARCore-supported Android phone (or WebXR emulator), and a simple HTTP server for hosting files.

1) What is WebGPU?

What it enables

• Near-native GPU performance in the browser: WebGPU is a next-gen web graphics API that succeeds WebGL, offering dramatically higher throughput for rendering and compute. For example, in GPU-heavy tasks (like particle simulations), WebGPU can handle an order of magnitude more objects at 60 FPS than WebGL (tens of millions vs a few million on high-end GPUs). This means smoother 3D visuals and animations (targeting a fluid 60fps) with less jank.
• Advanced GPU features (compute & modern shaders): WebGPU gives web developers access to capabilities previously limited to native apps, like compute shaders and low-level graphics pipelines. This enables new classes of web apps – from real-time physics and AI inference in the browser, to richer lighting and geometry in AR scenes – that simply weren’t possible or efficientwith WebGL.
• Broad device reach (cross-platform, including XR): WebGPU is designed for modern GPU backends (Vulkan/Metal/Direct3D12) and is being adopted across browsers. It already works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox (nightly builds) and is coming to Safari on iPhones, iPads, and even AR headsets. In other words, the same WebGPU-powered AR experience can run on a laptop, an Android phone, or future devices like Apple’s Vision Pro – all through the web. In short, WebGPU brings desktop-grade graphics power to the web, no native app install needed.

When to use it

• For performance-critical graphics or AR/VR – If your web app struggles to maintain 60 FPS with WebGL or involves complex scenes, switching to WebGPU can provide major speedups. WebGPU shines when you have lots of objects, heavy shaders, or require per-frame compute (e.g. spatial mapping, physics) that would bog down WebGL. Early tests show WebGPU significantly outperforming WebGL (5–100× faster in certain GPU tasks), so use it when you need that extra horsepower for smooth AR experiences.
• For advanced rendering techniques or GPU computation – Choose WebGPU if your app needs features like compute shaders (for computer vision, machine learning, etc.), or you want fine-grained control over the rendering pipeline (for custom effects, deferred rendering, etc.). WebGPU’s modern API lets you implement algorithms that were impractical in WebGL and keep your main thread free – for instance, moving a heavy JS algorithm to a GPU compute shader yielded a jump from ~8 FPS to a steady 60 FPS in one demo. If you’re building cutting-edge AR features (e.g. real-world mesh processing, real-time AI), WebGPU is the tool of choice.
• Immersive and high-fidelity use cases – WebGPU is ideal when building immersive XR content on the web – think interactive 3D product showcases, AR games, or virtual training – where visual fidelity and responsiveness are paramount. It’s also suited for large-scale simulations or data visualizations in the browser. Conversely, if your scene is very simple (and already hits 60fps in WebGL) or you need to support older devices/browsers, you might stick with WebGLfor now. In general, use WebGPU when you want to push the envelope of what web graphics can do, especially for AR/VR where low latency and high frame rates make a big difference.

Current limitations

• Limited browser/device support (as of 2025–2026): WebGPU is still new, and not all platforms have full support yet. Chrome (113+) has WebGPU on by default for desktop and Android, and Safari is rolling it out (in Safari 26+ across macOS/iOS/visionOS). However, WebXR’s AR mode is not yet supported on iPhones or visionOS browsers (even though experimental flags exist). In short, WebGPU for AR currently works best on Chrome/Edge for Windows/Android, and in development builds of other browsers. Always check if your target device supports navigator.gpu and WebXR; you may need to instruct users to use a specific browser or enable experimental features.
• Still experimental for WebXR integration: Running WebGPU inside an AR/VR (WebXR) session is bleeding-edge. As of Chrome v135, developers must enable special flags to use WebGPU with WebXR, and the implementation isn’t fully optimized yet. There’s known overhead (an extra texture copy per frame) that means WebGPU isn’t automatically faster than WebGL for AR yet. Also, only the basic projection layer is supported for WebXR (no quad layers, cylinder layers, or multiple layers). Expect improvements, but for now be prepared for rough edges: this is more “preview” than production-ready.
• Tooling and framework maturity: Because WebGPU is low-level, existing WebGL libraries (Three.js, Babylon.js, A-Frame, etc.) are still catching up to fully support it in their pipelines. Some have experimental WebGPU renderers, but you may not get all features or the same stability. Debugging WebGPU can also be more involved (new API surface, GPU memory management, etc.). And if you need fallbacks for older browsers, you might end up maintaining dual code paths (WebGL and WebGPU). In AR specifically, popular web AR frameworks might still rely on WebGL under the hood. So, while WebGPU opens new possibilities, be mindful that you’re an early adopter – expect to do more manual setup and use experimental engine builds in the near term.

2) Prerequisites

Access requirements

• WebGPU-enabled browser: Ensure you have a web browser that supports WebGPU (and WebXR for AR). The easiest path is Chrome – WebGPU is enabled by default in Chrome 113+ on desktop and Android, and the WebXR Device API (for AR) is supported on Android Chrome (with ARCore). For WebGPU in AR, use Chrome Canary 135+ (or later) because it includes the experimental WebXR-WebGPU integration. Other options: Firefox Nightly (WebGPU behind a flag), Safari Technology Preview (WebGPU on macOS/iOS, but no WebXR AR yet), or an AR headset’s built-in browser (e.g. Oculus Browser on Quest, which supports WebXR VR and possibly WebGPU in future).
• Enable WebGPU+WebXR (if needed): In Chrome Canary, go to chrome://flags and enable the flags “WebXR Projection Layers” and “WebXR/WebGPU Bindings”. This allows the use of WebGPU inside XR sessions. Relaunch the browser after enabling. (If you’re using another browser or a later version where this is mainstream, this step may not be required.)
• Secure context / HTTPS: Plan to serve your files via HTTPS (or localhost). WebXR requires a secure context for camera and sensor access. If you just open an HTML file locally (file://), the AR features won’t work. Use a simple web server or an online host to test.
• (Optional) Origin Trial token: If WebXR WebGPU integration graduates to an origin trial, you might need to register and include a token in your page. Check Chrome’s status dashboard for “WebXR/WebGPU integration” – at time of writing it’s under developer testing, not an official origin trial yet. We won’t cover origin trial setup here since the flag method is currently used.

Done when: you have a browser environment ready where WebGPU is available (try navigator.gpu in the console) and WebXR AR is enabled. For example, in Chrome Canary you can visit the official WebXR Samples page – with the flags on, it should show a “WebXR with WebGPU”support check. If using Android, also ensure your device supports ARCore (see below) and that Google Play Services for AR is installed.

Platform setup

iOS (Safari)

• Safari 17+ / iOS 17+ (with WebGPU): As of the last update, Safari has added WebGPU support in iOS 17+ (Safari 17) and beyond. Ensure you’re on the latest iOS and enable the **“WebGPU”**experimental setting if it’s not already (in Settings > Safari > Advanced > Experimental Features).
• WebXR AR support: Note: Safari (iOS or visionOS) does not yet support WebXR’s immersive AR mode for web content. This means you cannot run true AR camera overlays in Safari at this time. You can still experiment with WebGPU on iOS for 3D content (e.g. overlaying graphics on a video or using CSS ‘AR’ via model-viewer), but the full AR headset/phone camera passthrough experience isn’t available. (Apple’s Vision Pro may support WebXR VR content in visionOS Safari, but AR passthrough is disabled for now.)
• Alternative (for development): If you need to test AR on iOS, you might use a third-party tool like Mozilla WebXR Viewer (an app that was used to demo AR on iOS) or an AR platform like 8thWallwhich uses ARKit via web – however, those use WebGL under the hood. In summary, iOS web developers can do the integration steps (section 6 onward) but will need an Android or another device to actually see the AR result for now.

Android (Chrome)

• Chrome 109+ / Android 8.0+: Use the latest Chrome or Chrome Canary on Android. Chrome supports WebXR (for AR) on ARCore-capable devices and has enabled core WebGPU as of Chrome 113. For WebGPU+WebXR, Chrome Canary 135+ is recommended with the flags as noted. Alternatively, Samsung Internet (v20+) and Firefox Reality support WebXR, but WebGPU support in them is experimental or pending. Stick with Chrome-based browsers for best results.
• ARCore and device support: Make sure you have an ARCore-supported device (most modern Android phones from major manufacturers). ARCore is Google’s AR service that WebXR uses under the hood for tracking. Typically, if your phone is on the ARCore list, Chrome will allow AR sessions. Also install/enable Google Play Services for AR from the Play Store – it usually updates automatically, but check that it’s present and up-to-date. (WebXR AR will not function on Android devices that lack ARCore support or if ARCore services are not installed.)
• Hardware considerations: AR sessions use the phone’s camera and motion sensors heavily. A physical Android phone is strongly recommended (the official Android Emulator does notsupport ARCore/WebXR as of now). Ensure the device’s camera is working and you have decent lighting for AR tracking. If you’re using a standalone AR/VR headset (e.g. Meta Quest), you can use its built-in browser for WebXR; for Quest, you might need to enable Developer Mode to load your test page, or host it online and navigate to it from the headset.

Hardware or mock

• Supported AR device or emulator: You will need either a real AR device or a mock environment to test. A real device can be an ARCore-compatible smartphone (for handheld AR) or an AR/VR headset that supports WebXR (e.g. Meta Quest’s Oculus Browser for passthrough AR, Hololens 2’s Edge browser, etc.). If you don’t have hardware, you can use a WebXR Emulator Extensionon desktop (for Chrome/Edge). This extension simulates an AR device using your webcam for video and lets you mimic device movement – it’s great for quick dev iteration. Keep in mind the emulator gives a rough idea; for true performance (60fps) and tracking fidelity, test on a real device.
• Camera and sensor access: If using a phone or headset, grant the browser permission to use the camera and motion sensors when prompted. On first launch of an AR session, Chrome will ask for camera access – you must Allow it to see the real-world background. If using an emulator, allow the browser to access your webcam. Also, ensure features like Bluetooth or GPSare not needed or are accounted for (our guide doesn’t specifically use them, but some AR experiences might for location-based AR).
• Development machine setup: If you plan to host content locally, your dev PC and device should be on the same network if using a local server (so the phone can access the URL). Alternatively, use a tunneling service (like ngrok or localhost.run) to expose your local server to the device. And remember: use HTTPS – you can use http://localhost during development (which is considered secure), or generate a self-signed cert for your local server if needed.

3) Get Access to WebGPU

1. Install/Update the browser: If you haven’t already, install Chrome Canary on your development device (or Chrome Dev/Beta if Canary is not available). This will have the latest WebGPU features. On desktop, Chrome Canary can be installed alongside stable Chrome. On Android, you can get Chrome Canary from the Play Store. Ensure the version is >= 135.0.x for WebXR-WebGPU support. If using another browser (like a special AR headset browser), consult its docs for WebGPU availability.
2. Enable experimental flags: Open Chrome and navigate to about:flags (or chrome://flags). In the search box, type “WebXR”. Enable the flags named “WebXR Projection Layers” and “WebXR/WebGPU Bindings”. Also ensure “Unsafe WebGPU” (on Android) is enabled if present (this allows use on unsupported GPUs in “compatibility mode”). Enabling these flags will typically require restarting the browser. On desktop Chrome, you might also enable “Use WebGPU Developer Features” if available.
3. Verify WebGPU availability: After restarting, verify that WebGPU is accessible. For example, open the DevTools console and run navigator.gpu?.requestAdapter() – it should return a promise, not undefined. Additionally, go to webgpureport.org> which can show details about your GPU and backend (optional). If navigator.gpu is not present, double-check that your browser version is correct and flags are enabled. (On older or unsupported devices, WebGPU might not initialize – an adapter may be null.)
4. Verify WebXR AR availability: Next, test that you can start a basic AR session. A quick way: go to the official WebXR Samples page and click “Does my browser support WebXR?” If using a phone, you can also try the “immersive-ar session” sample (without WebGPU) to ensure ARCore is working. It should activate your camera and show a simple object (if it doesn’t, you may have an AR support issue – see prerequisites). With the WebXR/WebGPU flags on, the samples site will also list WebGPU-specific samples under a “WebGPU Samples” section. This confirms that the browser recognizes the capability.
5. (Optional) Create a test project: Some platforms (like Oculus Quest or certain enterprise browsers) may require deploying your content differently. For example, on Quest you might need to host on HTTPS and use the headset’s browser. If you’re targeting such, set up a simple page that prints “WebXR and WebGPU OK” after requesting an XR session with a WebGPU render loop. However, for most cases, using the sample in the next section will suffice as a verification.

Done when: you have WebGPU + AR working in your environment. Specifically, you should have obtained a WebGPU adapter/device (no errors in console) and be able to start an AR session that shows camera feed (e.g., using a test or sample page). Essentially, your “Web AR dev kit” is ready – browser is configured, device is set, and you can proceed to running the official sample app to double-check everything end-to-end.

4) Quickstart A — Run the Sample App (iOS)

Goal

Note: Immersive AR is currently not supported on iOS Safari, so we cannot run a true camera-overlay AR sample on iPhone/iPad yet. However, you can still run WebGPU demos on iOS to verify WebGPU functionality.

In this quickstart, we’ll (informationally) cover iOS, mainly to acknowledge the limitations. If you’re an iOS-only developer, you can skip directly to section 6 and set up integration (knowing you’ll need an Android or another device to fully test AR). For completeness, here’s what you could do on iOS:

Step 1 — Get the sample

There is no official AR sample for Safari (since immersive-ar sessions are not available). But you can run a basic WebGPU graphics sample to ensure WebGPU works:

• Option 1: Use Apple’s examples: If you have iOS 17+, try Apple’s WebGPU examples from WWDC. For instance, open the “WebGPU Water demo” (if provided by Apple) in Safari. Apple has a sample in their documentation or WWDC video showing a graphics demo. This won’t use the camera, but it will test WebGPU rendering at 60fps on your device.
• Option 2: Use the WebGPU “hello triangle”: A community-hosted demo (like on webgpu.github.io or webgpufundamentals.org) draws a simple triangle using WebGPU. Open Safari, navigate to a WebGPU demo page (e.g., https://webgpu.github.io/webgpu-samples/triangle/). If the triangle renders, WebGPU is functioning. (If you see nothing, ensure “WebGPU” is enabled in Experimental Features.)

Alternatively, to experiment with AR-like content, you could use <model-viewer> with AR Quick Look on iOS (which uses ARKit via USDZ models). This isn’t WebGPU, but it’s a way to show AR content on iOS for now. It’s outside our scope, but keep in mind as a temporary solution if needed.

Step 2 — Install dependencies

For the above WebGPU sample, no additional install is needed (it runs in the browser). If you were building your own iOS WebGPU test, you might include the WebGPU JS types (for TypeScript) or a bundler, but that’s optional. Safari doesn’t require any SDK installation – WebGPU is part of the web platform.

Step 3 — Configure app

No specific configuration for Safari beyond enabling the feature flags as done earlier. You don’t need entitlements or config files since it’s not a native app. Just ensure Privacy settings aren’t blocking camera access: on iOS, under Settings > Safari, make sure “Camera” permission is allowed (if you plan to try any camera-based demo or use something like Quick Look AR).

(Since AR isn’t actually accessible via WebXR, this is more for completeness. If using Quick Look or a custom AR viewer, you'd need a USDZ model and the <model-viewer> component with ios-src attribute.)

Step 4 — Run

Open the page (demo or your own) in Safari. If it’s a WebGPU demo, it should run immediately at page load or with a “Start” button. Observe the performance – on modern iPhones, WebGPU demos should run at a smooth 60fps, utilizing Apple’s Metal backend under the hood. You can open Safari’s Web Inspector (developer tools) to check for any errors.

(If we had an AR sample: this is where you’d tap a “Start AR” button. Safari would likely show an alert “Safari wants to use your camera”. If it were supported and you allowed, it would then show the camera feed with content. But again, currently this path is theoretical.)

Step 5 — Connect to wearable/mock

Not applicable for iOS – since we cannot initiate an AR session, we’re not connecting to any AR device. If you happen to have an Apple Vision Pro dev kit (and a future version of visionOS where WebXR AR might be enabled), you would use the device’s Safari browser to run a similar sample. Check Apple’s developer forums for updates.

For now, any “connection” step on iOS might mean using an AR simulator in Xcode’s Reality Composer or so, but that’s beyond web scope.

Verify

• WebGPU renders on iOS: You see the expected output of the WebGPU sample (triangle or demo scene) on your iOS device, confirming that WebGPU is active (e.g., the 3D content appears and animates).
• (No AR on iOS yet): It’s expected that AR mode does not start on iPhones/iPads for WebXR content. A quick verify is that navigator.xr exists (Safari 17 added the API stub for XR) but navigator.xr.isSessionSupported('immersive-ar') returns false. This is normal.
• No crashes or errors: Safari doesn’t crash when running WebGPU, and no major errors appear in the console regarding GPU functions. If you see errors about “Out of memory” or unsupported features, the demo might be pushing beyond mobile limits.

Common issues

• WebGPU unavailable in Safari: If nothing is rendering, double-check that WebGPU is enabled in settings. Also ensure you’re on a recent iOS (WebGPU came to Safari after iOS 16). On older devices that can’t update to iOS 17, you won’t have WebGPU at all.
• Permission or HTTPS issues: If you tried a custom page that uses camera (like via WebRTC or something), Safari requires HTTPS and user gesture. Always use a secure context. If using local files, move to a local server.
• Performance not as expected: If the demo is choppy, it could be an iOS-specific bug or the device thermal throttling. WebGPU is quite new on Apple devices (the feature just rolled out in mid-2025), so performance may improve with OS updates. Ensure no power saving mode is on, and close other heavy apps.
• Non-functional AR Quick Look: If you attempted <model-viewer> AR on iOS and it didn’t work, ensure your model is a .usdz and that you tapped the AR icon to launch Quick Look (which hands off to an Apple AR viewer app). Remember, that approach doesn’t use WebGPU or WebXR at all – it’s an Apple-native AR fallback.

(Bottom line: iOS can be used to develop portions of your WebGPU app (like rendering logic), but you’ll need an Android or other device to experience the AR component until Apple enables WebXR AR in Safari.)

5) Quickstart B — Run the Sample App (Android)

Goal

Run the official WebXR + WebGPU sample app in an Android browser, and verify that a basic AR feature works (rendering a 3D object in your environment at 60fps). This will confirm that your Android device, browser, and WebGPU setup are functioning correctly together. By the end of this Quickstart, you should see a simple object (like floating triangles or a cube) overlaid on your real-world camera view through the browser.

Step 1 — Get the sample

We’ll use the Immersive Web Community’s official AR sample:

• Clone or download the WebXR Samples: The code is available on GitHub at immersive-web/webxr-samples. However, you don’t need to compile anything – we can use the hosted version.
• Open the AR Barebones demo: On your Android device, launch Chrome Canary. In the URL bar, navigate to: https://immersive-web.github.io/webxr-samples/webgpu/ar-barebones.html – this is the “WebXR AR barebones (WebGPU)” sample page. (If for some reason that link doesn’t load, you can try the non-WebGPU version at /immersive-web.github.io/webxr-samples/ar-barebones.html to ensure ARCore is working, then come back to the WebGPU version.)
• Alternative – host locally: If your device has trouble reaching the GitHub pages site (some corporate networks block GitHub pages, etc.), you can host the sample yourself. Clone the repo, serve it via an HTTPS server on your LAN, and open the same ar-barebones.html on your phone. The sample is static files – no build step required. Ensure the URL is HTTPS (you might need to accept a self-signed cert on the device).

This sample is minimal: it will attempt to start an AR session and render a basic object using WebGPU.

Step 2 — Configure dependencies

No external dependencies to install for this sample – it uses the raw WebXR API and WebGPU. Just make sure:

• Your Chrome has the flags enabled (as done in Section 3). Without the WebXR/WebGPU flag, this specific page might fail to present (or fall back to WebGL if coded to do so).
• Google Play Services for AR is updated on your phone (open the Play Store and check for updates to "Google AR Services").
• If prompted, update Chrome to the latest Canary build available; WebGPU features update frequently, so newer is better.

You do not need to install any SDK or app – everything runs in the browser. The sample uses WebXR’s requestSession('immersive-ar') and obtains a WebGPU rendering context from the AR session. All relevant scripts are included in the page itself.

Step 3 — Configure app

The sample page is pre-configured with the necessary code. A few things to note (in case you adapt this to your own app later):

• HTTPS and Permissions: The sample is served over HTTPS, which is required. When you start the AR session, Chrome will automatically prompt for camera permission. You don't have to add any special meta tags – just be ready to grant permission.
• XR compatibility: Under the hood, the sample likely calls navigator.gpu.requestAdapter({ xrCompatible: true }) or similar to ensure the WebGPU device can be used for XR. If you write your own app, remember to request an XR-compatible GPU adapter/device (this is why we enabled those flags earlier). The sample handles this, so no action needed on your part here.
• Graphics API fallback: If WebGPU failed to init, some samples might revert to WebGL. It’s good to know, because if you see the sample working but perhaps not hitting performance expectations, check the console – you might find it fell back to WebGL. With our setup, it should use WebGPU.
• Device orientation: Make sure your phone is unlocked and in portrait orientation when starting – some AR APIs prefer a certain orientation. Also, having auto-rotate off can sometimes interfere with WebXR’s coordinate system on Android. It’s a minor point, but if you see stretched or rotated camera view, try enabling auto-rotate or rotating the phone.

Step 4 — Run

1. Start the AR session: The sample page will likely display a button (e.g., “Enter AR” or “Start AR Session”). Tap that. Chrome will prompt you with a dialog like “This site wants to use your camera” (and motion sensors). Allow it. Shortly after, your screen should switch to a live camera view (the world around you). This is the AR session running. You might see a brief layout of a room or some guidance to move your phone. Then, the sample will render a simple object. In the WebGPU AR Barebones demo, it might be a few colored triangles floating in front of you or some primitive shape.
2. Observe performance: Move your phone around. The virtual object should remain seemingly fixed in space, anchored to some position. The motion tracking (6-DoF) should be smooth. WebGPU is handling the rendering of that object each frame. Ideally, you should perceive it as fluid – on a modern phone (with WebGPU via Vulkan), 60fps should be achievable. There’s no explicit FPS counter in the sample, but if the motion and object have no stutter, that’s a good sign.
3. Interaction (if any): The barebones demo likely doesn’t have user interaction (it might just show the object). If there is a tap or touch interaction (e.g., some samples let you tap to reposition the object via hit-test), try that: tap on a surface in the camera view and see if the object moves there. This tests the hit-test API with WebGPU rendering. If it moves, then hit-testing works too. If not included, no worries – our later integration will cover such features.

After a few seconds, you have confirmed the main loop: camera feed + WebGPU rendering on top.

Step 5 — Connect to wearable/mock

This step is about ensuring your AR “device” is properly in use:

• Ensure environment tracking: For ARCore, you might need to move your phone around so it can scan features (surfaces, points) to stabilize the object. If the sample object appears unstable or drifts, do a slow circle or figure-eight motion to let ARCore collect data. In well-lit areas with textured surfaces, tracking will lock in quickly.
• Using the WebXR emulator (if applicable): If instead of a phone you’re testing on desktop with a webcam, use the WebXR Emulator extension. Choose an AR device profile (e.g., “Pixel 5 AR” in the extension popup) and allow webcam. Click “Enter AR” on the sample from your desktop Chrome – it will show a debug view (maybe a fake room or your webcam feed if configured). The virtual object should appear there. Use the extension controls to simulate moving/rotating the device. This is a good approximation, but again, real device testing is the ultimate verification.
• Pairing headsets (optional): If you are testing on an AR headset (e.g., HoloLens with Chromium Edge Beta that has WebGPU), or on a VR headset with passthrough (Quest), the procedure is similar. Navigate to the sample page in the headset’s browser and start the AR session. Ensure the headset’s camera is enabled for passthrough AR. You might not need any “pairing”, since the browser runs on the device itself. Just ensure the headset is in developer mode if needed and you can access the URL (maybe use the headset’s voice browser or Oculus’s “Enter URL” feature). The sample should run in the headset and show the object in your space.

Verify

• Camera feed is visible: After starting the session, you see live video from your device’s camera as the background in Chrome. (If you only see black or a static image, something’s wrong – likely permission or an ARCore issue.)
• Virtual object renders in AR: A 3D object (triangles, cube, etc.) appears on top of the camera view. It should look anchored in place as you move around. This confirms WebGPU is drawing to the XR framebuffer successfully.
• Motion tracking is smooth: When you move the device, the object stays in a fixed real-world position (or if it’s supposed to follow you, it does so as intended). Any slight lag or jump would be an issue; ideally, it’s low-latency. WebGPU’s performance should help maintain a consistent frame rate – you’ll notice if it’s dropping frames by a jerky motion.
• 60 FPS achieved (subjectively): While you might not have an FPS counter, the experience feelsfluid. No obvious stuttering during normal movement. If the object’s animation (if any) or the reprojection seems off, there might be performance issues.
• No error alerts: Chrome didn’t display any error like “Graphics context lost” or “AR not supported”. If the sample falls back to WebGL, it might not alert you, but you can check DevTools logs for any messages about failing to get a WebGPU device or so. Ideally, the logs show that a WebGPU context was obtained for XR.

Common issues

• Black screen / camera not showing: If you entered AR and see a black background instead of your camera feed, it often means camera permission was denied or not prompted properly. Solution: refresh and try again, making sure to tap “Allow” for camera. Also, check Android Settings > Apps > Chrome > Permissions to ensure Camera is allowed. Another cause can be an ARCore failure – if ARCore isn’t installed or up to date, the session might not start (Chrome might show a message like “AR not available”). In that case, update or install ARCore services.
• Sample page says “Your browser supports WebXR” but nothing happens on “Enter AR”: This could indicate that the WebXR/WebGPU flags weren’t actually on, causing the WebGPU layer to fail. The sample might be trying to use WebGPU and failing silently. Double-check the flags. As a workaround, try loading the non-WebGPU AR sample (immersive-ar-session.html). If that one works (with WebGL), but the WebGPU one doesn’t, the issue lies with WebGPU setup. Ensure you’re indeed using Canary and the correct version.
• Poor performance or jitter: If the AR content is choppy, it could be that your device’s GPU isn’t handling WebGPU well or it fell back to software rendering. Some mid-range or older phones might struggle, especially if WebGPU defaulted to a less optimized path. Try using Chrome’s compatibility mode for WebGPU (flag -enable-unsafe-webgpu was mentioned for Android to allow an OpenGL backend). Alternatively, reduce any background apps. Note that this sample is very simple, so it should be fine; if not, it may be a bug – consider filing a Chromium bug with your device info.
• Object drifting or falling: If the virtual object isn’t staying put (e.g., sliding on the floor or floating away slowly), that’s usually an ARCore tracking issue (not WebGPU). Ensure good lighting and feature points (textures on surfaces). Sometimes after a few seconds ARCore will stabilize. This isn’t directly related to WebGPU, but be aware when testing.
• Device overheats or dims: AR + WebGPU is intensive. Some phones might dim the screen or throttle after a while. In a quick test this likely won’t happen, but for longer tests, keep an eye on device temperature. Using a cooler or testing in a cooler ambient environment can help maintain 60fps.
• Gradle auth error / manifest conflict: (Not applicable here, since we’re not in Android Studio – those would be if this were a native app. You can ignore things like “Gradle” or “manifest” issues, as they don’t apply to pure web deployment.)

If you passed all verifications, congratulations – you have successfully run a real 60fps AR experience in the browser using WebGPU! You can now move on to integrating this technology into your own web application.

6) Integration Guide — Add WebGPU to an Existing Web App (Web Platform)

Goal

Now that you’ve seen the sample, the next step is to integrate WebGPU (with AR capabilities) into your own web app. Suppose you have an existing web application (or a basic HTML/JS app) and you want to incorporate an AR feature – for example, placing a 3D model in the user’s environment. We’ll go through how to set up WebGPU in your app, manage an AR session, and render content with it. By the end, your app will be able to enter AR mode, connect to the device’s camera and sensors, and display 3D content using the WebGPU API.

Architecture

Let’s outline the architecture of a WebAR app using WebGPU:

• App UI: Your webpage UI (could be a React app, or plain HTML with a canvas). It has a button like “Enter AR” and maybe some controls (e.g., select model, take snapshot, etc.).
• WebXR Session (AR): When the user enters AR, you request an immersive-ar session. The browser will provide a framebuffer (XRProjectionLayer) that our WebGPU will render into each frame. Essentially, your app will get an XRWebGLBinding or similar for WebGPU (still evolving spec) to tie WebGPU’s output to the AR view.
• WebGPU rendering loop: Similar to a game loop. You obtain a GPUDevice from an adapter that’s XR-compatible. Every frame of the AR session, you use WebGPU commands to draw your virtual objects. The device’s camera feed is handled by the system (it’s the background layer), you just render the graphics on top.
• Application logic: You’ll have modules to manage things like user input (taps for hit test), session state (connected, tracking, etc.), and possibly networking or model loading.
• Flow: App UI → (user taps Enter AR) → XRSession starts → WebGPU context obtained → render loop begins → device’s AR camera + our GPU content -> on each frame, process input (e.g., hit test results for placement) and draw.

To manage this, consider creating a few small classes:

Step 1 — Install SDK

This is web, so there’s no SDK installation via package manager in the traditional sense, but you might use frameworks:

iOS (Safari PWA or Web): No special install, but if you were packaging your web app as an iOS PWA or using Cordova/Capacitor, ensure the WKWebView supports WebGPU (it might not yet in 2026). You might instead stick to Safari. No CocoaPods etc. needed in pure web.

Android (Web): Similarly, no Gradle dependencies. Everything runs in the browser. If you plan to embed this in an Android WebView, note that WebView (as of 2026) might not support WebXR or WebGPU fully. Chrome Custom Tabs or just the Chrome app are better. So likely, you keep it as a web link or PWA that the user opens in Chrome.

For the web app itself:

• Add the WebGPU polyfill (if any) or types: e.g., run npm install @webgpu/types for TypeScript definitions, or include a <script> from a CDN if using plain JS and want to ensure support check. Not required, but helps with development.
• If using a 3D engine: e.g., Three.js – you can use Three.js r150+ which has an experimental WebGPURenderer. Or Babylon.js 6.0 which can utilize WebGPU. Install those via <script> or npm. For instance, to use Babylon: <script src="https://cdn.babylonjs.com/babylon.js"></script> and later engine = new BABYLON.Engine(canvas, true, { adaptToDeviceRatio: true, deviceSource: BABYLON.WebGPU });(just an example). Engines will abstract a lot of integration for you.
• If writing from scratch: no library needed, you’ll work with the WebXR and WebGPU APIs directly (which is what we outline below).

(In summary, “install SDK” in web terms means including any JS libraries you plan to use, and making sure your development environment knows about WebGPU APIs.)

Step 2 — Add permissions

On the web, you don’t predefine permissions like native apps, but you should handle permission requests gracefully:

iOS Info.plist: Not applicable to pure web. (If you turned your web app into an iOS app via WKWebView, you’d need camera usage descriptions in the Info.plist. But as a website, Safari will handle this.)

AndroidManifest.xml: Not applicable for a website. (If using an Android WebView in an app, you’d need camera permission in the manifest. But again, if just in Chrome, Chrome’s own manifest has it covered.)

Instead, focus on runtime:

• The first time navigator.xr.requestSession('immersive-ar') is called, the user will be prompted for camera access. You should explain to the user (via UI prompt) why and instruct them to allow. For example, have some overlay that says “Please allow camera access to enable AR”.
• If permission is denied, handle it: you can catch the exception from requestSession and show a friendly message (“AR requires camera access. Please enable it in your browser settings or try again.”).
• On subsequent uses, the browser may remember permission. You can query navigator.permissions.query({ name: 'camera' }) if you want to check status (not widely supported on all browsers, but Chrome might).
• No other permissions (like Bluetooth or Motion sensors) are typically needed explicitly; device orientation for XR is covered by the ARCore runtime. Chrome used to require enabling a flag for Device Motion API but WebXR bypasses that.

To summarize, ensure your app:

• Requests AR session on a user gesture (button click).
• Gracefully handles NotAllowedError (user denied) or NotFoundError (AR not available).
• Possibly provides a link to instructions if the user needs to manually enable permissions later.

Step 3 — Create a thin client wrapper

Organize your AR integration code into manageable parts. For example:

• XRSessionManager (or WearablesClient analogue): This module will handle starting and stopping the AR session. It will:

  • call navigator.xr.requestSession('immersive-ar', { requiredFeatures: [...], optionalFeatures: [...] }),

  • set up event listeners for session.end or visibilitychange (pause/resume AR),

  • and obtain a reference to the XR’s WebGPU binding or layer. It should also handle getting the WebGPU context. For instance, once you have an XRSession, you’d do something like:

    js

    const gl = canvas.getContext('webgl', { xrCompatible: true }); // if you needed WebGL compatibility (not in WebGPU case) // For WebGPU, hypothetically: const gpuContext = canvas.getContext('webgpu'); await xrSession.updateRenderState({ layers: [ xrSession.renderState.baseLayer = new XRWebGLLayer(xrSession, gl) ]});

    Actually, for WebGPU, the spec is evolving – there might be an XRWebGPUProvider to get a GPU texture directly. Check the latest explainer. The point is, XRSessionManager sets up the link between XR and rendering.

  • manage the animation loop: using xrSession.requestAnimationFrame((time, xrFrame) => {...}) instead of window.requestAnimationFrame. It will call your render function each frame with the XR frame data.

• Renderer/GraphicsService (FeatureService): This part encapsulates WebGPU specifics:
  • Initialize GPUDevice and GPURenderPipeline. E.g., select an adapter (with xrCompatible: true), then device = await adapter.requestDevice().
  • Create your buffers, shaders (WGSL code), etc., to draw a 3D object. For AR, you likely also need to update the camera transform each frame to match the device pose (from xrFrame.getViewerPose()).
  • Essentially, this module knows how to draw your virtual content given a camera/view matrix and maybe some model data. It might have methods like renderFrame(xrFrame, xrSession).
• ARInteractions (PermissionsService / PlacementService): Handle user interactions in AR:
  • e.g., a HitTestService that on each frame does xrFrame.getHitTestResults(hitTestSource)to see if a plane is hit where the user tapped (if you requested hit-test feature).
  • Or a AnchorsService if you use anchors to keep objects in place.
  • For simplicity, if you just place on tap, you might not need a whole service: just do it in your input event handler using the session’s hit test.
• State management: Keep track of states: isSessionRunning, currentPlacement, etc. If something goes wrong (like device lost or session ended unexpectedly), handle it by cleaning up GPU resources and resetting UI.

Definition of done for integration:

• WebGPU initialized in your app (i.e., you can call navigator.gpu.requestAdapter() and get a device without errors at app start or on entering AR). Ideally, do this on a user gesture as well because some browsers might require interaction for WebGPU (not usually, but safe practice).
• AR Session lifecycle handled: Your app can start an AR session, and you have code to end it (for example, if the user taps an “Exit AR” button, call xrSession.end()). Also handle session end events (maybe the browser ends it or an error occurs) – your app should return to a normal state (e.g., show non-AR UI).
• Rendering pipeline connected: Frames from the AR session trigger your WebGPU draw code. You are rendering something each frame (even if just a test pattern) into the XR layer. No exceptions like “texture format not supported” or “device lost” are unhandled.
• Basic user feedback: If something fails (no XR support, or permission denied), your app shows a message rather than silently failing. This could be as simple as an alert “AR not available” which is not pretty, but it’s important for user experience.
• Clean resource management: When the AR session stops, you should free or pause any GPU-heavy work. WebGPU device will usually be fine to reuse for another session, but if not, be ready to create a new one on next start. Also, if your app uses multiple views (like a 3D canvas outside AR), decide if you’ll use WebGPU for that too (you can), or use separate context.

At this point, your app’s structure should support an AR mode powered by WebGPU. Next, we’ll add a minimal UI and tie it together.

Step 4 — Add a minimal UI screen

On your webpage, incorporate the following UI elements for AR:

• “Enter AR” button: A prominent button that starts the AR session (as discussed). Example: <button id="enter-ar">View in AR</button>. This triggers activateXR() or similar in your code.
• Status/Indicator: Some text or icon that shows the AR session status. For instance, a small green dot or “Connected” label when AR session is running, and maybe “AR Active” overlay. This helps debugging and user awareness. You might bind this to session events.
• “Place Object” or interaction button: If your feature is to place or capture something, include a button for it. E.g., “📸 Capture” to take a snapshot, or “Place Model” to drop the object at the current reticle position. In our eventual feature (Section 7), we’ll want a “Capture” or “Place” action when connected.
• Exit AR button: On some UIs, the user can tap a close icon to exit AR. Chrome on Android currently provides its own “X” button to end the session (in the top left of the screen), so you might not need to duplicate it. But if you do (for consistency of UI), call session.end() on click.
• Canvas element: Include the <canvas id="gpu-canvas"></canvas> in your HTML which will be used for WebGPU rendering. Often, this canvas will be automatically used by the AR session (the AR view takes over full screen). You might not see the canvas separately on screen, but it’s needed to obtain a WebGPU drawing context. Ensure it fills the screen or is styled to do so when in AR.
• Permission prompts or guidance overlays: Consider adding an overlay div with instructions like “Move your phone to scan the area”. This isn’t strictly necessary, but improves UX by guiding the user to get better tracking for the AR content.

Once the UI elements are in place, tie their event listeners to your integration logic:

• enter-ar button -> calls your function that starts the AR session (XRSessionManager.start()).
• If you have a “Place” button -> calls a function that uses the current hit-test result to place an object (we’ll detail in Section 7).
• Any on-screen debug info (like FPS counter) -> update it each frame in your render loop if you want.

Make sure the UI is not obstructive in AR: you might hide some 2D elements when AR is active (except maybe a small overlay or button) to maximize the AR view. Chrome’s AR mode typically goes full-screen and might hide browser UI, but your HTML elements can still render on top (e.g., if you use WebXR’s domOverlay feature with an overlay div – if you included optionalFeatures: ['dom-overlay'], domOverlay: { root: document.body } in session init, then regular HTML can appear over AR). Use that if needed for HUD or buttons inside AR view.

Now you have a basic UI integrated with the AR WebGPU logic. Next, we’ll implement a concrete AR feature (placing a virtual object via a button tap) to demonstrate the end-to-end flow.

7) Feature Recipe — Trigger Photo Capture from Wearable into Your App (Example Feature)

Let’s adapt this section to a relevant AR feature. One common feature: Tap a button to place a 3D object in the real world. However, the template example is “Trigger Photo Capture from Wearable”, which might not directly apply to phone AR (it sounds like taking a photo from a wearable device’s camera). In mobile AR, a similar idea is capturing a screenshot of the AR view, or maybe triggering an action on the AR device.

Instead, we’ll outline “Tap to place an object” in AR using WebGPU:

Goal

When the user taps a “Place Object” button in your AR mode, the app will perform a hit test in the camera view to find a real-world surface and then place a virtual 3D object at that point. The object (say a virtual cube or model) will then appear anchored in the real world at that position, and your app will continue rendering it each frame (using WebGPU) so it looks fixed in space. This simulates a typical AR placement experience – like placing furniture in your room.

UX flow

1. Ensure AR session is active: The user must be in AR mode (camera on, tracking). Your “Place” button might be disabled or hidden until AR is started.
2. User taps “Place Object”: The action triggers a hit test at the center of the screen (or wherever you define, e.g., maybe where a reticle is).
3. Compute placement: The app finds an intersection point (hit result) on a real-world plane (or estimated depth) where the object can be placed.
4. Place the object: The virtual object’s transform is set to that hit test result’s pose. Now the object’s position in the virtual scene corresponds to a real-world location.
5. Confirm placement: The object appears on the camera feed at that location. The app might give feedback (e.g., flash or a sound). The placement button could change to something else (like “Move Object” or “Place Another”).
6. Persist/render: The object remains in the scene. As the user moves, it stays anchored. The app could allow multiple placements or just one.

(Optionally, if the feature were photo capture as originally described: we would have a camera on an AR wearable capture a photo. But since we pivoted, we’ll stick to placement. If needed, one could adapt this to “Capture screenshot”: that would be simpler – just call XRSession.takePhoto()if it existed (not standardized yet), or capture canvas pixel data. But let’s focus on placement.)

Implementation checklist

• Connected state verified: Before placing, ensure xrSession is running. If !session or it’s not immersive-ar, you should not try a hit test. In UI, disable the “Place Object” button until in AR.
• Permissions verified: By this point, camera permission should have been granted when session started. No additional permission needed for hit test (it’s part of ARCore functionality). Just ensure the feature was requested: when starting session, include { requiredFeatures: ['hit-test', 'local-floor']} (for example) if you want surface hit-testing on floor/environment. If you forgot that, getHitTestResults will not work. So include it!
• Capture hit test result: On button tap, do:

text

js

`let viewerSpace = xrFrame.session.viewerSpace; let hitTestResults = xrFrame.getHitTestResults(hitTestSource);`

Typically, you create `hitTestSource` earlier with `xrSession.requestHitTestSource({ space: viewerSpace, entityTypes: ['plane'] })` for real-world planes. In newer spec, there’s `requestHitTestSourceForTransientInput` for tapping, but a simpler way: use the screen center ray. Many samples use `viewerSpace` + offset ray from camera. Alternatively, if using three.js or Babylon, they have utilities.

• Place object if hit: If hitTestResults.length > 0, take the first result. It has getPose() giving a pose in reference space (e.g., local or local-floor). Use that pose’s transform (position & orientation) for your object. For example:

text

js

`const pose = hit.getPose(xrReferenceSpace); if (pose) {   object.setPosition(pose.transform.position);   object.setOrientation(pose.transform.orientation); }`

If no hit is found (e.g., user aimed at blank sky), you might show a message “Try pointing at a surface” or you could drop the object at a default distance.

• Add object to render list: Your rendering code (WebGPU) likely has a list or scene graph of objects to draw. When you place the object, you should add it to that list. If it’s the first and only object, just ensure the next render loop picks up its transform. If using an engine, you might create a Mesh at that point and rely on engine to render. In raw WebGPU, you might update a uniform buffer with the object’s model matrix each frame.
• Handle multiple placements or one-time: Decide if the user can place multiple objects by tapping multiple times. If yes, you might not hide the button, just keep dropping new ones. If no (only one object), you might disable the button or change its label (“Placed ✅”). This is a UX choice.
• Feedback to user: Perhaps show a brief highlight on the placed object or a text “Object placed”. Could also implement a “undo” or “remove” feature, but keep scope small initially.
• Persist (if desired): This goes beyond immediate feature – if you want the object to remain if the session restarts or share the placement, you might use anchors or save to localStorage. This can be advanced, so optional.

Pseudocode

js

// Assuming xrFrame available in render loop and hitTestSource set up on session start let placedObject = null; function onPlaceButtonTapped() { if (!xrFrame) { console.warn("No XR frame"); return; } const hits = xrFrame.getHitTestResults(hitTestSource); if (hits.length > 0) { const hit = hits[0]; const pose = hit.getPose(xrReferenceSpace); if (pose) { if (!placedObject) { placedObject = createVirtualObject(); // e.g., create a 3D mesh/ node scene.add(placedObject); } // Set object position/orientation to hit result placedObject.setTransform(pose.transform); showMessage("Placed ✅"); } } else { showMessage("No surface found, try again"); } } // In render loop: if (placedObject) { // already has its transform from previous placement // just ensure it's rendered each frame. (If using engine, it handles it) } // Optionally, handle feedback UI

In practice, using a library like Three.js:

js

const raycaster = new THREE.Raycaster(); // you'd get the input source pose or viewer pose and cast a ray down middle of screen // but with WebXR hit-test, it's easier: const hits = xrFrame.getHitTestResults(hitTestSource); if (hits.length) { const pose = hits[0].getPose(localRefSpace); cube.position.copy(pose.transform.position); cube.quaternion.copy(pose.transform.orientation); }

(Note: For simplicity, we’re not dealing with scaling or adjusting height offset. Also, WebXR hit test gives you values in meters relative to starting point.)

Troubleshooting

• Hit test returns empty: If getHitTestResults always returns no hits, ensure you requested the feature. Also, surfaces might not be detected yet – ARCore needs a textured surface. Try pointing the camera at a floor or table with some texture. Watch for ARCore’s own feedback (on Android, sometimes a circle or dots appear when it detects planes). If none appear, move slower and cover more area. In code, you could fall back to a default distance (e.g., place 2 meters in front) if no plane.
• Object appears at wrong scale or orientation: You might need to adjust the coordinate system. For example, ARCore’s hit tests by default align the object’s y-axis up. If your model is oriented differently (z-up), you may have to rotate it. Check the orientation quaternion; you can also ignore it and just take position, setting your own default orientation (e.g., face toward user or always upright).
• Object flickers or moves after placement: If you’re not using anchors, minor drifting can occur as ARCore refines its understanding of the environment. For critical placement, consider creating an XRAnchor (if available: hit.createAnchor()) so the system keeps track of that point more robustly. This is an advanced step; without anchors, it should still work decently for single-session.
• Multiple taps not working: Make sure your onPlaceButtonTapped isn’t being called multiple times in one frame unintentionally. Also, if you want a new object each time, create new objects instead of reusing one.
• Instant placement expectation: Users might expect to tap anywhere, even before a plane is found. You can implement instant placement (ARCore has a mode to place objects immediately with less accuracy). That would be an optional feature request 'instant-hit-test'. If using it, you could place an object with a fuzzy position that refines later. For now, it’s okay to require a detected plane.

With the above implemented, your app feature allows dynamic placement of 3D content in AR using WebGPU for rendering. It’s a simple interaction but covers a lot: input handling, environment understanding, and rendering – a good showcase for WebGPU (ensuring the placed object renders smoothly).

(If you were doing the “photo capture from wearable” scenario instead: the flow would be user taps capture → send a signal to device → device camera image comes in → you display it. That would involve Bluetooth or network if the wearable is separate. Since our focus is on AR and WebGPU, we chose placement as a more self-contained demo.)

8) Testing Matrix

When integrating a cutting-edge tech like WebGPU in AR, thorough testing is key. Use the following matrix to test various scenarios and ensure your feature works robustly:

Use this matrix as a checklist during QA. It’s especially important to test on multiple devices (different Android models, if possible) because GPU drivers vary and WebGPU is new – you might catch a device-specific bug (e.g., a particular phone’s GPU driver doesn’t like a certain texture format). Also test different browser versions if you can (Chrome Beta vs Canary) to anticipate upcoming changes.

9) Observability and Logging

When deploying an AR WebGPU app, adding logging and analytics will help diagnose issues in the wild:

Consider logging these key events and metrics (either to console for dev, or to a telemetry backend for production):

• Session lifecycle events: Log when AR session starts (connect_start), successfully starts (connect_success), and ends (connect_end or connect_fail if it fails to start). Include reasons for failure (permission denied, no support).
• Permission state: Log whether camera permission was already granted or needed to be requested (permission_prompted, permission_granted, permission_denied). This helps see how often users hit permission issues.
• Frame performance: It’s tricky to log every frame, but you can sample. For example, every second log the average frame_time_ms or instantaneous FPS. E.g., render_loop_fps=59.7. Also log if device.lost event occurs (WebGPU context lost) – that’s rare but possible; you’d label it webgpu_device_lost.
• Feature usage: In our placement example, log events like object_placed (with details: maybe an ID of model, or hit test method used). If multiple placements, log each. If you had a photo capture feature, log photo_captured.
• Error conditions: If a WebGPU operation fails (e.g., shader compilation error or uncaught exception in render loop), catch it and log webgpu_error with the message. WebXR errors (like XRSession.requestReferenceSpace failing) log those too.
• Tracking loss or quality: If you have access to ARCore tracking state (sometimes you can get tracking state), log if tracking state changes (normal -> limited -> lost). At least, if the user tries to place and no hit result, log hit_test_no_result to see how common that is (maybe your UX needs improvement if very frequent).
• User interactions: Log when user taps the AR button (enter_ar_clicked), when they tap place (place_clicked), and any other UI interactions in AR. This helps understand usage funnel – e.g., do users enter AR but never place an object? That could inform UX tweaks.
• System info (once): Log device model, browser version, and whether WebGPU was used or if it fell back (you can log renderer_type = 'webgpu' or 'webgl'). This can be in an initial log ping. E.g., WebGPU on Adreno640, Chrome 150 vs WebGL on Adreno640.

By monitoring these, you’ll gain insight into how your AR feature is performing in the real world:

• For instance, if you see fps dropping significantly on certain devices, you can investigate and optimize (maybe adjust detail or note those devices as unsupported for now).
• If permission_denied is high, perhaps users are hesitant or don’t understand why it’s needed – maybe improve the prompt wording.
• If you see many connect_fail with reason “NotFoundError”, it might mean users without AR support are trying – maybe your detection is failing or you need to be more upfront about requirements.
• Logging gpu_time per frame (if you instrument WebGPU timestamps, an advanced topic) can tell you how close you are to frame budget. But even a simple timestamp diff log can hint at performance.

In development, use console.log generously (with conditional verbosity levels). In production, consider sending logs to an analytics service (respect user privacy and do not log camera feed or any personal data). Focus on technical metrics and generic user behavior events.

10) FAQ

• Q: Do I need hardware to start developing this?

  A: You can get started without physical AR hardware by using tools like the WebXR Emulator (browser extension) which simulates AR on desktop. This lets you write and test code using your webcam. However, to experience the full 6DoF tracking and performance of 60fps AR, a real device is recommended. A modern Android phone with ARCore is the easiest target. (If you only have an iPhone, you can still develop the WebGPU parts now, but you’ll need an Android or an AR headset to test the AR portion until Apple enables it.)

• Q: Which devices and browsers are supported?

  A: Currently, the best support is on Android devices with ARCore and Chrome. Most ARCore-supported phones (Pixel, Samsung, OnePlus, etc.) running recent Android will work. Use Chrome Canary for WebGPU integration. Meta Quest (Quest Browser) supports WebXR and might support WebGPU soon (experimental). Apple’s Safari supports WebGPU on iPhones/iPads (iOS 17+) and on Apple Silicon Macs, but does not support WebXR AR on iPhone yet (Vision Pro support is emerging for VR content). In summary: Chrome/Edge on Windows/Android – yes (with flags for AR); Firefox Nightly – partial (WebGPU yes, WebXR AR possibly via model-viewer polyfill); Safari – WebGPU yes, AR no (as of last check). Always test on the specific devices you intend to target, as support is rapidly evolving.

• Q: Can I ship this to production now, or is it too early?

  A: It’s on the bleeding edge. WebGPU itself shipped in Chrome stable, so for non-AR use it’s production-ready in Chrome/Edge (with fallback to WebGL for others). However, the WebGPU-in-AR integration is experimental and behind flags, meaning average users don’t have it enabled. You could launch a beta or tech preview of your AR feature (for users willing to use Canary or enable flags). For a mainstream production app, you’d likely implement a fallback: use WebGPU when available, but also have a WebGL path for broad compatibility. Many frameworks can toggle between WebGL and WebGPU. Also consider that by mid-2026, this might progress to stable/Origin Trial – keep an eye on Chrome releases and announcements. So, plan for progressive enhancement: amazing performance with WebGPU when possible, but still functional (though maybe lower fidelity) with WebGL for others. And clearly label any beta features if instructing users to enable browser flags.

• Q: How can I ensure compatibility with non-WebGPU browsers or older devices?

  A: Feature-detect and fallback. For instance:

  js

  if ('gpu' in navigator) { // WebGPU path } else { // WebGL path or show message }

  Similarly, check for WebXR:

  js

  if (navigator.xr && await navigator.xr.isSessionSupported('immersive-ar')) { ... }

  If AR is supported but WebGPU isn’t, you can create a WebGL-based AR session as a fallback (using XRWebGLLayer). You might use an engine like Three.js which can abstract the difference – Three.js will use WebGL by default until WebGPU renderer matures; Babylon.js can automatically use WebGPU if available or WebGL otherwise. Leverage those so you don’t maintain two completely separate codebases. Test on a range of hardware: if an older phone doesn’t support WebGPU (some Androids might lack Vulkan and thus fall back or not support it), make sure your app at least shows a graceful message or uses WebGL. In short, plan for backward compatibility, and perhaps provide a toggle in settings (“Enable WebGPU (beta)”) if you want power users to choose.

• Q: Can I access the camera image or do computer vision on it with WebGPU?

  A: Direct camera image access in WebXR AR is currently not provided for privacy reasons (the camera feed is not exposed to JavaScript; it’s just shown as background). So you can’t directly run WebGPU image processing on the live camera frames via WebXR. However, you can use the WebXR AR module’s features like hit testing, plane detection, and light estimation to get data about the real world. If you need the camera pixels (for say, a custom CV algorithm in WebGPU), an alternative is to use WebRTC/getUserMedia to grab camera frames, but then you’d have to do your own tracking – not trivial. As of now, assume you cannot get the raw camera image from an immersive AR session. Instead, use the ARCore-provided data (or if on a platform that allows a camera access in AR, that would be specific). Future APIs or extensions might allow computer vision shaders on camera input, but in the current WebXR spec that’s not standard. If this is crucial, you might look into Firefox’s proposed computer vision API or community efforts.

(Feel free to expand this FAQ with more questions as you gather them from users or testers, such as troubleshooting graphics issues, coordinate system confusion, etc.)

11) SEO Title Options

• “How to Get Access to WebGPU for Augmented Reality and Run a 60FPS 3D Demo (Web Browser)” – covering the steps to enable and test WebGPU in browser-based AR.
• “Integrate WebGPU into Your Web AR App: A Step-by-Step Quickstart (2026)” – emphasizing integration into an existing app.
• “Placing 3D Objects in Real World with WebGPU and WebXR (Web AR Tutorial)” – highlights the hit-test placement feature we implemented.
• “WebGPU AR Troubleshooting Guide: Performance, Compatibility, and Common Errors” – focusing on the common issues and their solutions for WebGPU in AR scenarios.

(These titles include keywords like WebGPU, AR, WebXR, 3D, Browser – which should help SEO for folks looking up how to do AR on the web or improve web AR performance.)

12) Changelog

• 2026-01-17 — Verified on Chrome Canary 150 (with #webxr-webgpu flags enabled) on Pixel 7 (Android 13, ARCore v1.38). WebGPU API spec revision: W3C “GPU for the Web” CR January 2026. Tested fallbacks on Chrome 108 (WebGPU unsupported, used WebGL path) and Safari 17.0 (WebXR AR not available). Guide updated with latest Apple WebGPU news and Chrome 135+ AR integration status.