Hardware Requirements

Studio uses the GPU in your client computer and requires a conformant implementation of WebGL. The GPU and the memory will affect performance and the size of data that can be loaded, as well as the performance during map exploration and interaction.

On systems with both internal and external GPUs (for instance MacBook Pros with an external GPU card), Foursquare Studio requests the most powerful GPU available.

Browser Requirements

Foursquare Studio officially supports recent versions of "evergreen" browsers.

The most supported browser is Chrome (which typically is expected to provide the most optimized experience); however, Firefox, Safari, and Edge are also supported. Foursquare Studio uses the latest JavaScript, HTML, and web GPU technologies and does not provide support for legacy browsers (like Internet Explorer 11, pre-Chromium Edge, etc).

Hardware/GPU Acceleration

Foursquare Studio does not provide support for running browsers with software GPU drivers.

Instead, Studio requires hardware/GPU acceleration to be enabled in your browser's settings. This setting, usually enabled by default, allows Foursquare Studio to offload tasks to the GPU.

In Chrome:

Start Chrome, then select Menu > Settings.
Open the System section, then enable Use hardware acceleration when available.

In Firefox:

Start Firefox, then select Menu > Settings.
Scroll down to the Performance section, then enable Use hardware acceleration when available.

For other browsers, please refer to its documentation on hardware/GPU acceleration

Alternative Browsers

As mentioned above, Studio officially supports the most recent versions of "evergreen" browsers.

Experiencing an issue with a browser not listed? Visit https://get.webgl.org/ to ensure your browser supports WebGL.

Mobile Support

Foursquare Studio does not officially support mobile devices.

Due to a wide range of common mobile hardware, browser configurations, and operating systems, our team does not release versions of Studio with the mobile experience in mind.

Mobile Experience

Users can view Studio maps, either on studio.foursquare.com or through embedded instances on your blog or website. Users can engage with the frame with standard mobile operations, such as pinching, panning, and tapping to discover objects on a map.

It is also possible to create maps, add layers, apply filters, and engage with Foursquare Studio as one would a workstation environment. However, each Studio release is not tested across every mobile platform, and as a result, may inhibit or otherwise make it difficult to complete any given set of actions. In short, project creation is not recommended nor officially supported on mobile devices.

Bugs and Other Issues

We have observed several issues that impact the performance of Studio on certain platforms.

Known Hardware Issues

We have observed a known performance regression while using Chrome on MacBook + AMD Radeon 500 series GPU. While under investigation, it is believed this issue is caused by an unknown performance bug in Apple's OpenGL drivers. The recommendation from the Chrome team is to turn on Metal-backed ANGLE in your Chrome's about:flags.
- See: https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=1245448#c22

Known Mobile Issues

As of March 2023, Studio does not work with the Samsung S22 line due to underlying deck.gl issues.