When I started optimising WebGL games for SeaGames, I thought the biggest problems would be related to textures or complex logic. However, after testing on older Android devices, I discovered that the real bottlenecks were usually simple browser behaviours that you don't see in benchmarks.
The main thread turned out to be the most fragile element. Even a texture decode, a service worker waking up or a layout update outside the game iframe could suddenly cause a dip from 60 fps to 35. Once I had isolated the game canvas on a cleaner page, however, those dips disappeared.
I also learned that one large texture had a greater impact than many small ones. Resizing a few UI sheets instantly made animations feel smoother. Interestingly, audio also caused performance spikes — some formats triggered micro-lags until I changed how sounds were preloaded.
OffscreenCanvas helped on some devices, but slowed things down on others. Now, I detect capabilities first and select the option that keeps the gameplay stable.
These days, I don't trust FPS numbers alone. Input response, frame pacing and heat build-up provide a more accurate picture of performance. If those feel right, the game feels smooth, even if the FPS isn't perfect.
Mobile browsers are more capable than people realise, provided you design for them from the outset. This idea informs much of what we do at SeaGames.
If you want to see how these optimisations work in practice, visit: seagames
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Any questions can ask me