remotion-dev/remotion · critical · Error

Failed to create WebGL buffer

Error message

Failed to create WebGL buffer

What it means

Thrown by `setupBarrelDistortion` when `gl.createBuffer()` returns `null`. The buffer is the VBO that backs the fullscreen quad (16 floats: position + UV). A null handle indicates the GL context could not allocate another buffer object — a resource/context-loss condition.

Source

Thrown at packages/effects/src/barrel-distortion/barrel-distortion-runtime.ts:121

	gl.pixelStorei(gl.UNPACK_PREMULTIPLY_ALPHA_WEBGL, true);

	const program = createProgram(gl, BARREL_DISTORTION_VS, BARREL_DISTORTION_FS);

	const vao = gl.createVertexArray();
	if (!vao) {
		throw new Error('Failed to create WebGL vertex array');
	}

	gl.bindVertexArray(vao);

	const data = new Float32Array([
		-1, -1, 0, 0, 1, -1, 1, 0, -1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1,
	]);

	const vbo = gl.createBuffer();
	if (!vbo) {
		throw new Error('Failed to create WebGL buffer');
	}

	gl.bindBuffer(gl.ARRAY_BUFFER, vbo);
	gl.bufferData(gl.ARRAY_BUFFER, data, gl.STATIC_DRAW);

	gl.enableVertexAttribArray(0);
	gl.vertexAttribPointer(0, 2, gl.FLOAT, false, 16, 0);
	gl.enableVertexAttribArray(1);
	gl.vertexAttribPointer(1, 2, gl.FLOAT, false, 16, 8);

	gl.bindVertexArray(null);

	const textureSource = createRgbaTexture(gl);

	return {
		gl,
		program,
		vao,

View on GitHub (pinned to 78fe4bb3fd)

Solutions

1. Guard setup with `gl.isContextLost()` and reinitialize on `webglcontextrestored`.
2. Free unused effect states via `cleanupBarrelDistortion` to release VBOs.
3. Reduce concurrently active effects / canvases.
4. Ensure hardware-accelerated WebGL2 in the render environment.

Example fix

if (gl.isContextLost()) {
  // skip setup, reinitialize after webglcontextrestored
} else {
  const state = setupBarrelDistortion(canvas);
}

if (gl.isContextLost()) { /* skip setup */ }

try {
  const state = setupBarrelDistortion(canvas);
} catch (err) {
  if (/Failed to create WebGL buffer/.test(err.message)) {
    // await restore, reduce effects, retry
  } else { throw err; }
}

When it happens

Trigger: Fires at line 119-121, after the VAO is created and bound, when `gl.createBuffer()` returns null.

Common situations: Context loss during setup; buffer object limit reached from many live WebGL effects; software renderer with a low buffer cap.

Related errors

• Failed to create WebGL buffer
• Failed to create WebGL vertex array
• Failed to create WebGL texture
• Failed to create WebGL shader
• Failed to create WebGL program

AI-assisted analysis of remotion-dev/remotion@78fe4bb3fd (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/117a31b3f67f95a5. Report an issue: GitHub.