[csswg-drafts] [mediaqueries] media query for relative animation performance (#13316)

jcayzac has just created a new issue for https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts:

== [mediaqueries] media query for relative animation performance ==
`(update: fast)` covers a whole spectrum of relative sluggishness. A low-end smartphone in battery-saving mode is incapable of executing CSS animations or transitions other than fade-in/fade-out in a way that does not negatively impact its end user's experience.

Yet, there is currently no way for web developers to detect this and dial animations down.

What could be done to solve this?

1. A `(refresh-rate:)` media query requiring a minimal number of FPS would probably not work, due to refresh rates being variable nowadays and the idle refresh rate probably kept low in the absence of any scrolling or animating. One way it could work would be by matching by default, but not match for a period after the refresh rate during scrolling or animating has dropped below the threshold, still.
2. An aggregate measure of the recent rendering smoothness and CPU load could be exposed to provide some performance grade, and a new media query made to match only if a certain grade is met.
3. More ideas welcome!

Please view or discuss this issue at https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts/issues/13316 using your GitHub account


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Received on Friday, 9 January 2026 09:51:10 UTC