In just a few weeks, the latest updates to Chrome and Firefox will quietly unlock a new trajectory for local computing. WASM64—the long-awaited upgrade to WebAssembly—will become a reality. I couldn’t be more excited!
For years, the cloud has reigned supreme. Need scalability? Go to the cloud. Want seamless collaboration? The cloud again. But amidst this cloud dominance, a hushed revolution has been brewing. At its core lies WASM64, the 64-bit upgrade to WebAssembly, which promises to take local computing to heights once thought unimaginable. This is the story of how WASM64 is poised to disrupt the status quo and redefine what’s possible.
Near-native performance
WebAssembly already brought near-native performance to the web, but it had limits. The most significant hurdle was its 32-bit memory addressing, which capped memory use at 4GB. For some applications, that was enough. For others, it was a hard stop. It put a lid on the local-first possibilities, which we were not excited about.
Enter WASM64. This upgrade unlocks access to virtually unlimited memory. It’s a gateway to a new frontier!
The power of local
A researcher opens a browser and analyzes a 100GB dataset—no cloud infrastructure, no latency, just pure, local power with the same performance they’d expect from desktop software. Thanks to WASM64, this scenario is now within reach.
WASM64 is a philosophy: use what you already have. Today’s devices—whether laptops, desktops, or even phones—are computational powerhouses. WASM64 unleashes that power, shifting workloads from distant servers back to the devices in our hands.
The Cloud’s Challenge
The rise of WASM64 comes with profound implications for the cloud’s dominance. The cloud has thrived on its promise of scalability and performance. But with WASM64, those promises can be fulfilled locally:
Latency? Gone. Every millisecond spent transferring data to and from the cloud is a millisecond saved when it’s processed locally.
Cost? Slashed. Why pay for expensive cloud resources when your existing hardware can handle the job?
Privacy? Secured. Sensitive data can stay on your device, away from prying eyes and potential breaches.
The cloud isn’t disappearing, but its monopoly on computing is crumbling.
Local-First Computing
The story of WASM64 isn’t just about performance or memory. It’s about a fundamental shift in how we approach computing. Local-first is no longer a compromise; it’s a strategy. Developers can create applications that are faster, more secure, and far cheaper to operate.
This is just the beginning.
