Brewser DocsSwitch Runtime
Architecture
The engine stack powering Brewser on Tegra X1
Brewser's runtime is built from production-grade open source components, running natively on the Switch's Tegra X1:
| Layer | Component |
|---|---|
| JavaScript engine | V8 (with JIT, verified on real hardware) |
| 2D rendering | Skia |
| GPU driver | Mesa / Nouveau (OpenGL ES via EGL) |
| Base runtime | Fork of nx.js with Brewser extensions |
JavaScript engine
Apps execute on V8 — the same engine as Chrome and Node.js — including its optimizing JIT compiler. Modern JavaScript (ES2023+) works out of the box.
Rendering
Two rendering paths coexist on the same screen surface:
- Canvas 2D is backed by Skia.
- WebGL 1 / WebGL 2 map to OpenGL ES through Mesa's Nouveau driver.
The runtime carefully manages GL state so that Skia-drawn UI and WebGL-rendered app content can share the device without stepping on each other.
App isolation
Every app launch gets a fresh JavaScript context. On exit, the runtime disposes the app's GL resources, audio graph and pending work, restoring the engine to a clean state for the next launch.