Fast forward to 2026 and after 15 years, the browser vendors have not yet provided anything remotely similar to RenderDoc, only SpectorJS survives, barely usable.

Also this game remains the exception, Infinity Blade was released in 2010 to show what iPhone could do with OpenGL ES 3.0, the base for WebGL 2.0, and yet most Web games are basically Flash like remakes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinity_Blade

"Infinity Blade: iPhone Trailer", 15 years ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDvPIhCd8N4

An easier answer to this is "why build web applications when you can build phone applications and monetize them?"

Not necessarily, because you get Web games via cloud streaming, where developers get a better experience and tooling instead of trying to work within the constraints of Web 3D APIs.

>Web games via cloud streaming

Is there anyone out there actually making money from this?

Also this neglects the Apple problem.

Yes, all the studios that get money from Amazon Luna, NVidia GeForce NOW, Sony PS Portal, and Microsoft GamePass offerings.

So not that many is what you're saying in comparison to apple/android apps