WebGL and GPU Test

WebGL and GPU Test checks whether your browser can use your graphics hardware, which 3D websites, browser games, maps, design tools and video effects depend on. It does not just ask the browser whether WebGL exists: it draws an orange triangle on a blue background with a small shader program, reads the middle pixel back and checks it is the right colour, so “works” means the graphics actually drew. Then it lists what the browser sees: the graphics card or chip by name, its maker, what the browser draws through (Direct3D on Windows, Metal on a Mac, OpenGL or Vulkan elsewhere), the WebGL versions available, the largest texture and viewport, and the extensions. If the graphics are being drawn by the processor in software — slow, and usually a sign that hardware acceleration is off or the driver is blocked — the page says so. A second section tests WebGPU, the newer interface, and lists what its adapter reports.

1. Open the page. The test runs at once; nothing needs pressing.
2. Look at the triangle and the message beside it: green means WebGL drew correctly.
3. Read the graphics name to check which GPU the browser is using — on a laptop with two, it may be the weaker one.
4. If there is a warning, follow it, restart the browser and open the page again.

• Browsers may round or hide the graphics name to protect privacy: Firefox and Safari often show a general family (“Apple GPU”, “Intel graphics”) rather than the exact model.
• On laptops with two GPUs, the browser chooses which to use. To make it use the faster one, set the browser to “High performance” in the system’s graphics settings (Windows: Settings → Display → Graphics).
• Passing the test means WebGL works, not that it is fast. This page does not benchmark: a single short score in a browser varies too much to compare devices fairly.
• WebGPU is newer and not yet everywhere. Its absence is not a fault — most sites still use WebGL.
• The drawing and the checks run in your browser, and the results are shown only to you. Nothing is sent or stored. The graphics name is something any page can read; this one reads it only to show it to you.

WebGL is on by default in every current browser. If it is not working, turn on hardware acceleration — in Chrome and Edge, Settings → System → “Use graphics acceleration when available”; in Firefox, Settings → General → Performance — then restart the browser and update the graphics driver.

The browser could not use the graphics card, so it is imitating one on the processor (SwiftShader or llvmpipe). Pages still work, but 3D content is slow and the computer works harder. It usually means acceleration is off or the driver is on the browser’s block list.

The Graphics line shows what the browser reports. Chrome and Edge usually give the exact model; other browsers may only give the family. The system’s own settings (Device Manager on Windows, About This Mac) show the full details.

Both let web pages use the graphics hardware. WebGL is older and supported everywhere; WebGPU is newer, faster for complex work and used for machine learning in the browser, but not yet available in every browser.