Intent to Ship: Deprecate GPUAdapter isFallbackAdapter attribute
François Beaufort
Contact emails
Explainer
The GPUAdapter isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute is being removed as it’s redundant with the GPUAdapterInfo isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute. This attribute already serves a similar purpose, indicating if an adapter has significant performance limitations in return for wider compatibility, more predictable behavior, and improved privacy.
Specification
https://github.com/gpuweb/gpuweb/pull/5099
Summary
Removes the GPUAdapter isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute from WebGPU, which is redundant with the GPUAdapterInfo isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute.
This removal is a minor breaking change as support for fallback adapters has not yet been implemented in any browser, thereby resulting in both isFallbackAdapter attributes consistently returning a falsy value.
Blink component
Motivation
Removing GPUAdapter isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute eliminates unnecessary complexity and potential confusion by consolidating the functionality within the existing GPUAdapterInfo isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute. This change promotes cleaner code and a more intuitive development experience.
A search for the string "isFallbackAdapter" in HTTPArchive yielded no results.
As of Apr 30, 2025, usage of the GPUAdapter isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute reached a peak of 0.000338% of page loads according to the ChromeStatus dashboard https://chromestatus.com/metrics/feature/timeline/popularity/5460.
Initial public proposal
None
TAG review
None
TAG review status
Not applicable
Risks
Interoperability and Compatibility
When WebGPU eventually launches in Safari and Firefox, websites will use exclusively the GPUAdapterInfo isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute.
We anticipate Safari and Firefox will soon support WebGPU, but won't include the non-standard GPUAdapter isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute. Therefore, the sooner Chromium implements the Deprecate and Remove process, the less likely it is that content will work in Chromium but not in other browsers.
This removal has been approved by the GPU for the Web Community Group, with representatives from Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. See minutes at https://github.com/gpuweb/gpuweb/wiki/GPU-Web-2025-03-05#move-isfallbackadapter-into-gpuadapterinfo-4971 and https://github.com/gpuweb/gpuweb/pull/5099#issuecomment-2737426600.
Gecko: No signal - Mozilla members have requested during weekly standardization meetings that we don't file standard positions anymore as we reached Candidate Recommendation (CR) status. https://github.com/mozilla/standards-positions/issues/1205
WebKit: No signal - https://github.com/WebKit/standards-positions/issues/294#issuecomment-1877411933
Web developers: No signals
Other signals:
WebView application risks
Does this intent deprecate or change behavior of existing APIs, such that it has potentially high risk for Android WebView-based applications?
None
Debuggability
None
Flag name on chrome://flags
None
Finch feature name
WebGPUAdapterIsFallbackAdapter
Rollout plan
Will ship enabled for all users
Non-finch justification
None
Requires code in //chrome?
False
Tracking bug
https://issues.chromium.org/issues/409259074
Estimated milestones
Link to entry on the Chrome Platform Status
https://chromestatus.com/feature/4870179714236416
This intent message was generated by Chrome Platform Status.
Yoav Weiss (@Shopify)
Contact emails
Explainer
The GPUAdapter isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute is being removed as it’s redundant with the GPUAdapterInfo isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute. This attribute already serves a similar purpose, indicating if an adapter has significant performance limitations in return for wider compatibility, more predictable behavior, and improved privacy.
Specification
https://github.com/gpuweb/gpuweb/pull/5099
Summary
Removes the GPUAdapter isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute from WebGPU, which is redundant with the GPUAdapterInfo isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute.
This removal is a minor breaking change as support for fallback adapters has not yet been implemented in any browser, thereby resulting in both isFallbackAdapter attributes consistently returning a falsy value.
Blink componentMotivation
Removing GPUAdapter isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute eliminates unnecessary complexity and potential confusion by consolidating the functionality within the existing GPUAdapterInfo isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute. This change promotes cleaner code and a more intuitive development experience.
A search for the string "isFallbackAdapter" in HTTPArchive yielded no results.
As of Apr 30, 2025, usage of the GPUAdapter isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute reached a peak of 0.000338% of page loads according to the ChromeStatus dashboard https://chromestatus.com/metrics/feature/timeline/popularity/5460.
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François Beaufort
On Fri, May 2, 2025 at 10:55 AM 'François Beaufort' via blink-dev <blin...@chromium.org> wrote:Contact emails
Explainer
The GPUAdapter isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute is being removed as it’s redundant with the GPUAdapterInfo isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute. This attribute already serves a similar purpose, indicating if an adapter has significant performance limitations in return for wider compatibility, more predictable behavior, and improved privacy.
Specification
https://github.com/gpuweb/gpuweb/pull/5099
Summary
Removes the GPUAdapter isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute from WebGPU, which is redundant with the GPUAdapterInfo isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute.
This removal is a minor breaking change as support for fallback adapters has not yet been implemented in any browser, thereby resulting in both isFallbackAdapter attributes consistently returning a falsy value.
Blink componentMotivation
Removing GPUAdapter isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute eliminates unnecessary complexity and potential confusion by consolidating the functionality within the existing GPUAdapterInfo isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute. This change promotes cleaner code and a more intuitive development experience.
How would breakage look like? if `isFallbackAdapter` turns from a boolean to an undefined, is it possible that developers won't notice it's gone?
Having said that. since WebGPU shipped only in Chromium and isFallbackAdapter has always returned false since Day 1, I highly doubt there are websites that use it for legitimate reasons yet.
A search for the string "isFallbackAdapter" in HTTPArchive yielded no results.
Yeah, the HTTPArchive run also doesn't show any sites triggering the usecounter.As of Apr 30, 2025, usage of the GPUAdapter isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute reached a peak of 0.000338% of page loads according to the ChromeStatus dashboard https://chromestatus.com/metrics/feature/timeline/popularity/5460.
I'm seeing a significantly higher number in that URL (0.008%), but it seems to have a single data point.. Is the use counter recent?
It was added Mar 28, 2025: https://chromiumdash.appspot.com/commit/f0e55337ba45d45be08adb4cfbbd61860fa66d5e
Yoav Weiss (@Shopify)
On Fri, May 2, 2025 at 11:09 AM Yoav Weiss (@Shopify) <yoav...@chromium.org> wrote:On Fri, May 2, 2025 at 10:55 AM 'François Beaufort' via blink-dev <blin...@chromium.org> wrote:Contact emails
Explainer
The GPUAdapter isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute is being removed as it’s redundant with the GPUAdapterInfo isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute. This attribute already serves a similar purpose, indicating if an adapter has significant performance limitations in return for wider compatibility, more predictable behavior, and improved privacy.
Specification
https://github.com/gpuweb/gpuweb/pull/5099
Summary
Removes the GPUAdapter isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute from WebGPU, which is redundant with the GPUAdapterInfo isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute.
This removal is a minor breaking change as support for fallback adapters has not yet been implemented in any browser, thereby resulting in both isFallbackAdapter attributes consistently returning a falsy value.
Blink componentMotivation
Removing GPUAdapter isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute eliminates unnecessary complexity and potential confusion by consolidating the functionality within the existing GPUAdapterInfo isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute. This change promotes cleaner code and a more intuitive development experience.
How would breakage look like? if `isFallbackAdapter` turns from a boolean to an undefined, is it possible that developers won't notice it's gone?
It is possible that developers won't notice it's gone if they use something like "if (!adapter.isFallbackAdapter) { ... }".
Having said that. since WebGPU shipped only in Chromium and isFallbackAdapter has always returned false since Day 1, I highly doubt there are websites that use it for legitimate reasons yet.
A search for the string "isFallbackAdapter" in HTTPArchive yielded no results.
Yeah, the HTTPArchive run also doesn't show any sites triggering the usecounter.As of Apr 30, 2025, usage of the GPUAdapter isFallbackAdapter boolean attribute reached a peak of 0.000338% of page loads according to the ChromeStatus dashboard https://chromestatus.com/metrics/feature/timeline/popularity/5460.
I'm seeing a significantly higher number in that URL (0.008%), but it seems to have a single data point.. Is the use counter recent?
It was added Mar 28, 2025: https://chromiumdash.appspot.com/commit/f0e55337ba45d45be08adb4cfbbd61860fa66d5e
Mike Taylor
LGTM2
Alex Russell
LGTM1
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