Chromium’s 2020 Compatibility Push: Grid, Subgrid, and the Road to 2021
Browser compatibility remains a sore spot for developers, but Chromium’s team is taking a fresh approach. In a recent post, they acknowledge the persistent gaps in missing features and edge-case bugs, arguing that the situation can improve if vendors truly listen to what causes the most friction. Their goal is clear: a more compatible 2021.
The post highlights a clever example of the problem—a single div that renders differently across every major browser. It’s a stark reminder of how far rendering engines still have to go. For Chromium, the news is mostly positive on CSS Grid, thanks largely to Igalia’s contributions. Yet one obvious hole remains: subgrid support is still absent.
That may soon change. A team at Microsoft Edge is rearchitecting Chromium’s grid layout to run on the new LayoutNG engine, and subgrid is on their intended feature list. The work is described as early days, but it signals real momentum behind closing a long-standing layout gap.
While no one should get complacent, the current state of cross-browser compatibility looks better than ever. The post offers a hopeful—if cautious—outlook that the pieces are finally falling into place.
