v4-new-features
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Use this skill when learning about new features, game objects, components, and rendering capabilities added in Phaser 4. Covers Filters, RenderNodes, CaptureFrame, Gradient, Noise, SpriteGPULayer, TilemapGPULayer, Lighting component, RenderSteps, and new tint modes. Triggers on: new in v4, Phaser 4 features, RenderNode, SpriteGPULayer, CaptureFrame, Gradient game object, Noise game object, new tint modes. For migrating v3 code to v4, see the v3-to-v4-migration skill instead.
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Sourcephaserjs/phaser
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npx skill4agent add phaserjs/phaser v4-new-featuresTags
Translated version includes tags in frontmatterSKILL.md Content
View Translation Comparison →Phaser 4 New Features
New features and capabilities in Phaser 4: Filters (replacing FX/BitmapMask), RenderNodes (replacing Pipelines), CaptureFrame, Gradient, Noise game objects, SpriteGPULayer, TilemapGPULayer, Lighting component, RenderSteps, and new tint modes.
Related skills: ../v3-to-v4-migration/SKILL.md, ../filters-and-postfx/SKILL.md, ../game-object-components/SKILL.md, ../tilemaps/SKILL.md
Migrating from v3? See the v3 to v4 Migration Guide for step-by-step code changes, removed APIs, and a migration checklist.
Overview: What Changed in v4
Phaser 4 is a complete overhaul of the WebGL rendering engine. The v3 renderer let each subsystem manage WebGL state independently, causing conflicts (e.g. certain FX breaking Masks). v4 centralizes WebGL state management through a RenderNode graph, where each node handles exactly one rendering task.
Key Removals
| v3 Feature | v4 Replacement |
|---|---|
| |
FX ( | Filters ( |
| |
| |
| Derived FX: Bloom, Circle, Gradient, Shine | Actions ( |
| Removed (proper 3D planned for future) |
| Use |
Key Additions
- New GameObjects: ,
CaptureFrame,Gradient,Noise,NoiseCell2D/3D/4D,NoiseSimplex2D/3D,SpriteGPULayer,StampTilemapGPULayer - New Components: ,
Lighting,RenderStepsRenderNodes - New Tint Modes: ,
MULTIPLY,FILL,ADD,SCREEN,OVERLAYHARD_LIGHT - New Filters: Blend, Blocky, CombineColorMatrix, GradientMap, ImageLight, Key, Mask, NormalTools, PanoramaBlur, ParallelFilters, Quantize, Sampler, Threshold
- GL Orientation: v4 uses standard GL orientation (Y=0 at bottom for textures)
Filters System (Replacing FX and BitmapMask)
Full reference:filters-and-postfx.md
Filters unify the v3 FX and Mask systems. Every filter takes an input image and produces an output image via a shader pass. Filters can be applied to any game object or camera -- v3 had restrictions on which objects supported FX.
js
// v3 approach (FX):
sprite.preFX.addGlow(0xff00ff, 4);
sprite.postFX.addBlur(0, 2, 2, 1);
// v4 approach (Filters):
sprite.enableFilters();
sprite.filters.internal.addGlow(0xff00ff, 4, 0, 1);
sprite.filters.external.addBlur(0, 2, 2, 1);
// v3 approach (BitmapMask):
const mask = new Phaser.Display.Masks.BitmapMask(scene, maskImage);
sprite.setMask(mask);
// v4 approach (FilterMask):
sprite.enableFilters();
sprite.filters.internal.addMask(maskImage);Internal vs External: Internal filters run before the camera transform (object-local space, cheaper). External filters run after (screen space, full-resolution).
RenderNodes (Replacing Pipelines)
In v3, a was a rendering system that often handled multiple responsibilities. In v4, each handles a single rendering task via its method. Some nodes also have a method to accumulate state before drawing.
PipelineRenderNoderun()batch()Architecture
The (on the WebGL renderer) owns all render nodes. Game objects reference nodes through role-based maps.
RenderNodeManagerjs
// RenderNode roles on a game object:
// - 'Submitter': runs other node roles for each element
// - 'Transformer': provides vertex coordinates
// - 'Texturer': handles textures
// GameObjects have default and custom render node maps:
gameObject.defaultRenderNodes // built-in nodes per role
gameObject.customRenderNodes // overrides per role
gameObject.renderNodeData // data keyed by node nameSetting Custom RenderNodes
js
// Override a specific render role:
gameObject.setRenderNodeRole('Submitter', 'MyCustomSubmitter');
// Pass data to a render node:
gameObject.setRenderNodeRole('Transformer', 'MyTransformer', {
customProperty: 42
});
// Remove a custom node (falls back to default):
gameObject.setRenderNodeRole('Submitter', null);Built-in RenderNode Types
Batch Handlers (accumulate and draw multiple objects per draw call):
- -- standard quad batching (Image, Sprite, BitmapText, etc.)
BatchHandlerQuad - -- single-quad variant
BatchHandlerQuadSingle - -- TileSprite batching
BatchHandlerTileSprite - -- flat triangle batching (Graphics, Shape)
BatchHandlerTriFlat - -- point light batching
BatchHandlerPointLight - -- triangle strip batching
BatchHandlerStrip
Submitters (coordinate rendering per object type):
- ,
SubmitterQuad,SubmitterTileSubmitterTileSprite - ,
SubmitterSpriteGPULayerSubmitterTilemapGPULayer
Transformers (compute vertex positions):
- ,
TransformerImage,TransformerStamp,TransformerTileTransformerTileSprite
Texturers (manage texture binding):
- ,
TexturerImageTexturerTileSprite
Filters (post-processing -- see ):
filters-and-postfx.md- ,
BaseFilterBaseFilterShader - ,
FilterBarrel,FilterBlend,FilterBlocky(Low/Med/High variants)FilterBlur - ,
FilterBokeh,FilterColorMatrixFilterCombineColorMatrix - ,
FilterDisplacement,FilterGlow,FilterGradientMapFilterImageLight - ,
FilterKey,FilterMask,FilterNormalToolsFilterPanoramaBlur - ,
FilterParallelFilters,FilterPixelateFilterQuantize - ,
FilterSampler,FilterShadow,FilterThreshold,FilterVignetteFilterWipe
Other:
- ,
Camera,FillCamera,FillRect,FillPathFillTri - ,
DrawLine,StrokePathShaderQuad - ,
ListCompositor,RebindContextYieldContext DynamicTextureHandler
Extending: Custom RenderNodes
js
// Register a custom node constructor:
renderer.renderNodes.addNodeConstructor('MyNode', MyNodeClass);
// Or add a pre-built node instance:
renderer.renderNodes.addNode('MyNode', myNodeInstance);New Game Objects
CaptureFrame
Captures the current framebuffer contents to a texture at the point in the display list where it sits. Does not render anything itself. WebGL only.
js
// Everything above this in the display list gets captured:
const image1 = this.add.image(400, 300, 'background');
// Enable framebuffer usage on the camera:
this.cameras.main.setForceComposite(true);
// Create the capture point:
const capture = this.add.captureFrame('myCapturedTexture');
// Use the captured texture on another object:
const overlay = this.add.image(400, 300, 'myCapturedTexture');
// Add filters to the overlay to distort the captured sceneKey details:
- Requires or a framebuffer context (Filters, DynamicTexture, camera with partial alpha)
camera.setForceComposite(true) - Inside a Container with filters, captures only that Container's contents
- Setting stops capturing
visible = false - Components: BlendMode, Depth, RenderNodes, Visible
Source:
src/gameobjects/captureframe/CaptureFrame.jsGradient
Displays GPU-rendered color gradients. Extends . Supports linear, radial, and other shape modes with configurable containing objects.
ShaderColorRampColorBandjs
// Simple linear gradient:
const grad = this.add.gradient(undefined, 100, 100, 200, 200);
// Complex radial gradient with multiple color bands:
const halo = this.add.gradient({
bands: [
{ start: 0.5, end: 0.6, colorStart: [0.5, 0.5, 1, 0], colorEnd: 0xffffff, colorSpace: 1, interpolation: 4 },
{ start: 0.6, end: 1, colorStart: 0xffffff, colorEnd: [1, 0.5, 0.5, 0], colorSpace: 1, interpolation: 3 }
],
dither: true,
repeatMode: 1,
shapeMode: 2, // radial
start: { x: 0.5, y: 0.5 },
shape: { x: 0.5, y: 0.0 }
}, 400, 300, 800, 800);
// Animate:
halo.offset = 0.1 * (1 + Math.sin(time / 1000));Key details:
- Config: with
GradientQuadConfig,bands,shapeMode,repeatMode,start,shapedither - Colors defined via with
ColorRampobjects (supports HSV, various interpolation modes)ColorBand - Call after modifying ramp data at runtime
gradient.ramp.encode()
Source:
src/gameobjects/gradient/Gradient.jsNoise Game Objects
All noise types extend and are WebGL only. Six variants available:
Shader| Type | Factory | Description |
|---|---|---|
| | White noise (random hash-based) |
| | 2D cellular/Worley/Voronoi noise |
| | 3D cellular noise (Z-axis slicing for animation) |
| | 4D cellular noise (Z+W axis slicing) |
| | 2D simplex/gradient noise (clouds, fire, water) |
| | 3D simplex noise |
js
// Basic white noise:
const noise = this.add.noise({
noiseOffset: [0, 0],
noisePower: 1
}, 100, 100, 256, 256);
// Cellular noise with customization:
const cells = this.add.noiseCell2D({
noiseOffset: [0, 0],
noiseIterations: 3,
noiseNormalMap: true // output as normal map for lighting
}, 200, 200, 256, 256);
// Simplex noise for natural effects:
const simplex = this.add.noiseSimplex2D({
noiseFlow: 0, // animate this for evolution
noiseIterations: 4,
noiseWarpAmount: 0.5, // turbulence
noiseSeed: 42,
noiseNormalMap: false
}, 300, 300, 256, 256);Common properties across noise types:
- --
noiseOffsetarray to scroll the pattern[x, y] - -- sculpt output levels (higher suppresses high values)
noisePower - -- output normal map (for lighting integration)
noiseNormalMap - -- detail level (cellular/simplex types)
noiseIterations
Math equivalents: , ,
Phaser.Math.Hash()Phaser.Math.HashCell()Phaser.Math.HashSimplex()Source:
src/gameobjects/noise/SpriteGPULayer
Renders very large numbers of quads (up to millions) in a single draw call by storing data in a static GPU buffer. Up to 100x faster than individual sprites. WebGL only.
js
const layer = this.add.spriteGPULayer(texture, size); // size = max number of members
// Add members (do this all at once, not incrementally):
const member = { x: 100, y: 200, frame: 'tree', scaleX: 1, scaleY: 1, alpha: 1 };
layer.addMember(member);
// Reuse the member object for efficiency with millions of entries:
member.x = 300;
member.y = 400;
member.frame = 'bush';
layer.addMember(member);
// Enable lighting on the layer:
layer.setLighting(true);Key details:
- Single texture only (no multi-atlas), single image per layer
- Members support tween-like animations (fade, bounce, wave, color shift) defined at creation
- Updating buffer contents is expensive -- populate once, leave unchanged
- Power-of-two textures recommended for pixel art to avoid seaming
- "Remove" members visually by setting to 0 (avoids buffer rebuild)
scaleX/scaleY/alpha - Components: Alpha, BlendMode, Depth, ElapseTimer, Lighting, Mask, RenderNodes, TextureCrop, Visible
Source:
src/gameobjects/spritegpulayer/SpriteGPULayer.jsNew Components
Full component reference:game-object-components.md
Lighting Component
Replaces the v3 approach of assigning a lighting pipeline. WebGL only.
js
// v3 approach:
sprite.setPipeline('Light2D');
// v4 approach:
sprite.setLighting(true);
// Self-shadowing (simulates surface shadows from texture brightness):
sprite.setSelfShadow(true, 0.5, 1/3);
// Args: enabled, penumbra (lower = sharper), diffuseFlatThreshold (0-1)
// Use game-wide default for self-shadow:
sprite.setSelfShadow(null); // reads from config.render.selfShadowSupported on: BitmapText, Blitter, Graphics, Shape, Image, Sprite, Particles, SpriteGPULayer, Stamp, Text, TileSprite, Video, TilemapLayer, TilemapGPULayer.
Batching note: Lighting changes the shader, which breaks batches. Group lit objects together and unlit objects together for best performance.
Source:
src/gameobjects/components/Lighting.jsRenderSteps Component
Allows injecting custom logic into the render process of a game object. WebGL only. The Filters system uses RenderSteps internally.
js
// Add a custom render step:
gameObject.addRenderStep(function (renderer, gameObject, drawingContext, parentMatrix, renderStep, displayList, displayListIndex) {
// Custom rendering logic here
// Call next step when ready:
var nextFn = gameObject._renderSteps[renderStep + 1];
if (nextFn) {
nextFn(renderer, gameObject, drawingContext, parentMatrix, renderStep + 1, displayList, displayListIndex);
}
});Key details:
- Steps are stored in array, executed via
_renderStepsrenderWebGLStep() - First step runs first and is responsible for calling subsequent steps
- This is how Filters defer and control the flow
renderWebGL
Source:
src/gameobjects/components/RenderSteps.jsRenderNodes Component
Provides , , and maps on game objects. See the RenderNodes section above for usage.
defaultRenderNodescustomRenderNodesrenderNodeDataSource:
src/gameobjects/components/RenderNodes.jsTilemapGPULayer
Full tilemap reference:tilemaps.md
High-performance GPU-based tilemap rendering. Renders the entire layer as a single quad via a specialized shader. WebGL only.
js
// Create via Tilemap with the gpu flag:
const map = this.make.tilemap({ key: 'level1' });
const tileset = map.addTilesetImage('tiles', 'tilesImage');
const gpuLayer = map.createLayer('Ground', tileset, 0, 0, true); // last arg: gpu = trueCapabilities:
- Single tileset with single texture image
- Maximum 4096x4096 tiles, up to 2^23 unique tile IDs
- Tile flipping and animation supported
- Orthographic tilemaps only (no isometric/hexagonal)
- Perfect texture filtering in LINEAR mode (no tile seams)
- Cost is per-pixel, not per-tile -- no performance loss with many visible tiles
Restrictions:
- Cannot use multiple tilesets
- Editing requires manual call to update
generateLayerDataTexture() - Orthographic only
Internal data: Tile data stored in a texture (4 bytes/tile: 2 flip bits, 1 animation bit, 1 unused, 28-bit tile index). Animation data in a separate texture.
Source:
src/tilemaps/TilemapGPULayer.jsFor detailed configuration options, API reference tables, and source file maps, see the reference guide.