We’ve seen an increase in GPU-related issues affecting EarthRanger Web. These problems are linked to recent changes in Chrome, which impact:
- How Chrome decides if hardware acceleration and WebGL should be enabled
- CPU fallback rendering when GPU support is unavailable
Because EarthRanger Web relies on MapboxGL, and MapboxGL depends on WebGL, the application cannot run without it.
Fixing GPU and WebGL Issues in Chrome
Please follow the steps below to check your browser and share results with support if you experience problems.
Step 1: Test WebGL Support
- Visit get.webgl.org.
- This page will confirm whether your browser supports WebGL, and provide guidance if it’s disabled.
Step 2: If WebGL is still unavailable after Step 1
- Go to your Chrome browser flags here:
chrome://flags/ - Turn on the feature titled “Enable unsafe SwiftShader fallback”
What’s Changing in EarthRanger
To make this clearer for users, EarthRanger Web is introducing a guard check that verifies WebGL is enabled before trying to render.
If WebGL or hardware acceleration is disabled, you will now see a message like this:
This means EarthRanger cannot load, and you will not be able to interact with the application until the issue is resolved.