WebGL2RenderingContext

Baseline Widely available

This feature is well established and works across many devices and browser versions. It’s been available across browsers since September 2021.

Note: This feature is available in Web Workers.

The WebGL2RenderingContext interface provides the OpenGL ES 3.0 rendering context for the drawing surface of an HTML <canvas> element.

To get an object of this interface, call getContext() on a <canvas> element, supplying "webgl2" as the argument:

const canvas = document.getElementById("myCanvas");
const gl = canvas.getContext("webgl2");

Note: WebGL 2 is an extension to WebGL 1. The WebGL2RenderingContext interface implements all members of the WebGLRenderingContext interface. Some methods of the WebGL 1 context can accept additional values when used in a WebGL 2 context. You will find this info noted on the WebGL 1 reference pages.

The WebGL tutorial has more information, examples, and resources on how to get started with WebGL.

Constants

See the WebGL constants page.

State information

WebGL2RenderingContext.getIndexedParameter(): Returns the indexed value for the given target.

Buffers

WebGL2RenderingContext.bufferData(): Initializes and creates the buffer object's data store.
WebGL2RenderingContext.bufferSubData(): Updates a subset of a buffer object's data store.
WebGL2RenderingContext.copyBufferSubData(): Copies part of the data of a buffer to another buffer.
WebGL2RenderingContext.getBufferSubData(): Reads data from a buffer and writes them to an ArrayBuffer or SharedArrayBuffer.

Framebuffers

WebGL2RenderingContext.blitFramebuffer(): Transfers a block of pixels from the read framebuffer to the draw framebuffer.
WebGL2RenderingContext.framebufferTextureLayer(): Attaches a single layer of a texture to a framebuffer.
WebGL2RenderingContext.invalidateFramebuffer(): Invalidates the contents of attachments in a framebuffer.
WebGL2RenderingContext.invalidateSubFramebuffer(): Invalidates portions of the contents of attachments in a framebuffer
WebGL2RenderingContext.readBuffer(): Selects a color buffer as the source for pixels.

Renderbuffers

WebGL2RenderingContext.getInternalformatParameter(): Returns information about implementation-dependent support for internal formats.
WebGL2RenderingContext.renderbufferStorageMultisample(): Creates and initializes a renderbuffer object's data store and allows specifying the number of samples to be used.

Textures

WebGL2RenderingContext.texStorage2D(): Specifies all levels of two-dimensional texture storage.
WebGL2RenderingContext.texStorage3D(): Specifies all levels of a three-dimensional texture or two-dimensional array texture.
WebGL2RenderingContext.texImage3D(): Specifies a three-dimensional texture image.
WebGL2RenderingContext.texSubImage3D(): Specifies a sub-rectangle of the current 3D texture.
WebGL2RenderingContext.copyTexSubImage3D(): Copies pixels from the current WebGLFramebuffer into an existing 3D texture sub-image.
WebGL2RenderingContext.compressedTexImage3D: Specifies a three-dimensional texture image in a compressed format.
WebGL2RenderingContext.compressedTexSubImage3D(): Specifies a three-dimensional sub-rectangle for a texture image in a compressed format.

Programs and shaders

WebGL2RenderingContext.getFragDataLocation(): Returns the binding of color numbers to user-defined varying out variables.

Uniforms and attributes

WebGL2RenderingContext.uniform[1234][uif][v](): Methods specifying values of uniform variables.
WebGL2RenderingContext.uniformMatrix[234]x[234]fv(): Methods specifying matrix values for uniform variables.
WebGL2RenderingContext.vertexAttribI4[u]i[v](): Methods specifying integer values for generic vertex attributes.
WebGL2RenderingContext.vertexAttribIPointer(): Specifies integer data formats and locations of vertex attributes in a vertex attributes array.

Color spaces

WebGL2RenderingContext.drawingBufferColorSpace: Specifies the color space of the WebGL drawing buffer.
WebGL2RenderingContext.unpackColorSpace: Specifies the color space to convert to when importing textures.

Drawing buffers

WebGL2RenderingContext.vertexAttribDivisor(): Modifies the rate at which generic vertex attributes advance when rendering multiple instances of primitives with gl.drawArraysInstanced() and gl.drawElementsInstanced().
WebGL2RenderingContext.drawArraysInstanced(): Renders primitives from array data. In addition, it can execute multiple instances of the range of elements.
WebGL2RenderingContext.drawElementsInstanced(): Renders primitives from array data. In addition, it can execute multiple instances of a set of elements.
WebGL2RenderingContext.drawRangeElements(): Renders primitives from array data in a given range.
WebGL2RenderingContext.drawBuffers(): Specifies a list of color buffers to be drawn into.
WebGL2RenderingContext.clearBuffer[fiuv](): Clears buffers from the currently bound framebuffer.

Query objects

Methods for working with WebGLQuery objects.

WebGL2RenderingContext.createQuery(): Creates a new WebGLQuery object.
WebGL2RenderingContext.deleteQuery(): Deletes a given WebGLQuery object.
WebGL2RenderingContext.isQuery(): Returns true if a given object is a valid WebGLQuery object.
WebGL2RenderingContext.beginQuery(): Begins an asynchronous query.
WebGL2RenderingContext.endQuery(): Marks the end of an asynchronous query.
WebGL2RenderingContext.getQuery(): Returns a WebGLQuery object for a given target.
WebGL2RenderingContext.getQueryParameter(): Returns information about a query.

Sampler objects

WebGL2RenderingContext.createSampler(): Creates a new WebGLSampler object.
WebGL2RenderingContext.deleteSampler(): Deletes a given WebGLSampler object.
WebGL2RenderingContext.bindSampler(): Binds a given WebGLSampler to a texture unit.
WebGL2RenderingContext.isSampler(): Returns true if a given object is a valid WebGLSampler object.
WebGL2RenderingContext.samplerParameter[if](): Sets sampler parameters.
WebGL2RenderingContext.getSamplerParameter(): Returns sampler parameter information.

Sync objects

WebGL2RenderingContext.fenceSync(): Creates a new WebGLSync object and inserts it into the GL command stream.
WebGL2RenderingContext.isSync(): Returns true if the passed object is a valid WebGLSync object.
WebGL2RenderingContext.deleteSync(): Deletes a given WebGLSync object.
WebGL2RenderingContext.clientWaitSync(): Blocks and waits for a WebGLSync object to become signaled or a given timeout to be passed.
WebGL2RenderingContext.waitSync(): Returns immediately, but waits on the GL server until the given WebGLSync object is signaled.
WebGL2RenderingContext.getSyncParameter(): Returns parameter information of a WebGLSync object.

Transform feedback

WebGL2RenderingContext.createTransformFeedback(): Creates and initializes WebGLTransformFeedback objects.
WebGL2RenderingContext.deleteTransformFeedback(): Deletes a given WebGLTransformFeedback object.
WebGL2RenderingContext.isTransformFeedback(): Returns true if the passed object is a valid WebGLTransformFeedback object.
WebGL2RenderingContext.bindTransformFeedback(): Binds a passed WebGLTransformFeedback object to the current GL state.
WebGL2RenderingContext.beginTransformFeedback(): Starts a transform feedback operation.
WebGL2RenderingContext.endTransformFeedback(): Ends a transform feedback operation.
WebGL2RenderingContext.transformFeedbackVaryings(): Specifies values to record in WebGLTransformFeedback buffers.
WebGL2RenderingContext.getTransformFeedbackVarying(): Returns information about varying variables from WebGLTransformFeedback buffers.
WebGL2RenderingContext.pauseTransformFeedback(): Pauses a transform feedback operation.
WebGL2RenderingContext.resumeTransformFeedback(): Resumes a transform feedback operation.

Uniform buffer objects

WebGL2RenderingContext.bindBufferBase(): Binds a given WebGLBuffer to a given binding point (target) at a given index.
WebGL2RenderingContext.bindBufferRange(): Binds a range of a given WebGLBuffer to a given binding point (target) at a given index.
WebGL2RenderingContext.getUniformIndices(): Retrieves the indices of a number of uniforms within a WebGLProgram.
WebGL2RenderingContext.getActiveUniforms(): Retrieves information about active uniforms within a WebGLProgram.
WebGL2RenderingContext.getUniformBlockIndex(): Retrieves the index of a uniform block within a WebGLProgram.
WebGL2RenderingContext.getActiveUniformBlockParameter(): Retrieves information about an active uniform block within a WebGLProgram.
WebGL2RenderingContext.getActiveUniformBlockName(): Retrieves the name of the active uniform block at a given index within a WebGLProgram.
WebGL2RenderingContext.uniformBlockBinding(): Assigns binding points for active uniform blocks.

Vertex array objects

Methods for working with WebGLVertexArrayObject (VAO) objects.

WebGL2RenderingContext.createVertexArray(): Creates a new WebGLVertexArrayObject.
WebGL2RenderingContext.deleteVertexArray(): Deletes a given WebGLVertexArrayObject.
WebGL2RenderingContext.isVertexArray(): Returns true if a given object is a valid WebGLVertexArrayObject.
WebGL2RenderingContext.bindVertexArray(): Binds a given WebGLVertexArrayObject to the buffer.

Specifications

Specification
WebGL 2.0 Specification # 3.7

Browser compatibility

BCD tables only load in the browser