Speedometer 3 has been announced today, a collaborative effort involving major browser engine developers. This benchmark assesses responsiveness, which is considered crucial for online performance. This latest release is more open and rigorous than previous versions, offering an effective tool for advancing browser performance.
This initiative aligns with the vision established in December 2022, which aimed to unite industry experts to re-evaluate browser performance measurement. The goal was to accurately reflect real-world web usage. Notably, Speedometer 3 marks the first instance of a major browser benchmark developed through a cross-industry collaboration, with support from all major browser engines: Blink, Gecko, and WebKit. This collaborative approach fosters a common understanding of optimization priorities and enables extensive review of the benchmark, thereby strengthening its impact on overall web improvement.
Tangible results are evident: Firefox demonstrated increased speed for users in 2023, directly attributable to optimizations targeting Speedometer 3. Achieving this required a coordinated effort across numerous teams, involving analysis of real-world websites, development of new optimization tools, and significant enhancements within Gecko to improve web page fluidity for Firefox users. During this process, hundreds of bug fixes were implemented across various areas, including JS, DOM, Layout, CSS, Graphics, frontend, memory allocation, and profile-guided optimization.
Core optimizations across all major browser engines are contributing to enhanced responsiveness for users. Continued collaboration on performance tests is anticipated to further improve the web.
