One could say the same for Google's browser investments as well. At this point, if Chrome and Safari don't implement something, it basically doesn't exist as a

One could say the same for Google's browser investments as well. At this point, if Chrome and Safari don't implement something, it basically doesn't exist as a web technology. The only other engine is Firefox sitting at 3% of usage. In Apple's case, I think there's some utility behind their drive for WebGPU: it's basically Apple's Metal graphics API. If WebGPU takes off, it'll mean a lot of developers getting familiar with something very similar to Apple's Metal API. Apple seems to be pursuing a long-term strategy of bringing more games to their platform. From the Game Porting Toolkit to ray tracing in their processors to Apple Vision to simply giving gaming a lot more attention in their keynotes. And Apple might be well positioned to capitalize on gaming. A $130 Apple TV has a lot more CPU and graphics power than a Nintendo Switch. The same applies to the iPhones people are carrying around. It might not compete with giant consoles from Microsoft and Sony, but Apple has been showing that it can offer impressive gaming performance. Fast forward to 2026: does a next-gen Apple TV have hardware ray tracing? Apple put a 2021 A15 processor in the 2022 Apple TV. It seems reasonable that they could put something better than a 2023 A17 Pro in a 2026 Apple TV (a 3 year old processor at that point). Sure, Microsoft and Sony will have next-gen consoles, but at what point are graphics facing diminishing returns? Nintendo has the most popular console even though it's older and was low-powered to begin with. For PC games, one must assume that some people are running graphics cards that are older. I'm not saying this will happen. Companies can be fickle. However, Apple has show a reasonably consistent (if slow) move toward games over the past year or two. They're making the investments now and WebGPU's Metal-like API could be part of that strategy. Heck, maybe WebGPU is even a strategy to avoid lawsuits from companies like Epic and anti-trust action from regulators. If you don't like the App Store rules, just use WebGPU. If games with native-level graphics can be distributed via the web, then there isn't nearly as much for regulators to go after the App Store.