[3.87.0] Huge GPU Cache usage when using HTMLImageElement inside the loader

Version

• Phaser Version: 3.87.0; same applies to 3.80.1
• Operating system: Win 11 Pro 23H2
• Browser: Chrome 131.0.6778.140

Description

Phaser.Types.Core.LoaderConfig allows you to choose imageLoadType. If you pick HTMLImageElement instead of the default one it will increase the amount of GPU Cache used multiple times. This issue can easily throttle the performance if you switch between various levels.

The cache will persist in a browser for a few minutes. After a while, it will be reduced to kb, but the game will still be functional without any error. Triggering the garbage collector manually (which can be done in the performance tab inside Inspector) doesn't change a thing.

You can observe this behavior by using Google Chrome Task Manager (ESC + Shift).

Example Test Code

https://phaser.io/sandbox
Code origin: https://phaser.io/examples/v3.85.0/loader/loader-events/view/add-files-during-load
Uncomment loader inside the config to test this issue

class Example extends Phaser.Scene
{
    preload ()
    {
        this.load.setBaseURL('https://cdn.phaserfiles.com/v385');
        this.load.setPath('assets/sprites/');

        this.load.image('atari130xe');

        this.load.once('filecomplete', this.addFiles, this);
    }

    create ()
    {
        const keys = this.textures.getTextureKeys();

        for (let i = 0; i < keys.length; i++)
        {
            const x = Phaser.Math.Between(0, 800);
            const y = Phaser.Math.Between(0, 600);

            this.add.image(x, y, keys[i]);
        }
    }

    addFiles ()
    {
        this.load.image('atari400');
        this.load.image('atari800');
        this.load.image('atari800xl');
        this.load.image('128x128');
        this.load.image('128x128-v2');
        this.load.image('a');
        this.load.image('advanced_wars_land');
        this.load.image('advanced_wars_tank');
        this.load.image('amiga-cursor');
        this.load.image('aqua_ball');
        this.load.image('arrow');
        this.load.image('arrows');
        this.load.image('asteroids_ship');
        this.load.image('asteroids_ship_white');
        this.load.image('asuna_by_vali233');
        this.load.image('atari1200xl');
        this.load.image('b');
        this.load.image('baddie_cat_1');
        this.load.image('balls');
        this.load.image('beball1');
        this.load.image('bikkuriman');
        this.load.image('block');
        this.load.image('blue_ball');
        this.load.image('bluebar');
        this.load.image('bluemetal_32x32x4');
        this.load.image('bobs-by-cleathley');
        this.load.image('bsquadron1');
        this.load.image('bsquadron2');
        this.load.image('bsquadron3');
        this.load.image('budbrain_chick');
        this.load.image('bullet');
        this.load.image('bunny');
        this.load.image('cakewalk');
        this.load.image('car');
        this.load.image('carrot');
        this.load.image('centroid');
        this.load.image('chain');
        this.load.image('checkerboard');
        this.load.image('chick');
        this.load.image('chunk');
        this.load.image('clown');
        this.load.image('coin');
        this.load.image('cokecan');
        this.load.image('columns-blue');
        this.load.image('columns-orange');
        this.load.image('columns-red');
        this.load.image('copy-that-floppy');
        this.load.image('crate');
        this.load.image('crate32');
        this.load.image('cursor-rotate');
        this.load.image('darkwing_crazy');
        this.load.image('default');
        this.load.image('diamond');
        this.load.image('dragcircle');
        this.load.image('drawcursor');
        this.load.image('dude');
        this.load.image('eggplant');
        this.load.image('elephant');
        this.load.image('enemy-bullet');
        this.load.image('exocet_spaceman');
        this.load.image('explosion');
        this.load.image('eyes');
        this.load.image('firstaid');
        this.load.image('fish-136x80');
        this.load.image('flectrum');
        this.load.image('flectrum2');
        this.load.image('fork');
        this.load.image('fruitnveg32wh37');
        this.load.image('fruitnveg64wh37');
        this.load.image('fuji');
        this.load.image('gameboy_seize_color_40x60');
        this.load.image('gem');
        this.load.image('gem-blue-16x16x4');
        this.load.image('gem-green-16x16x4');
        this.load.image('gem-red-16x16x4');
        this.load.image('ghost');
        this.load.image('green_ball');
        this.load.image('healthbar');
        this.load.image('helix');
        this.load.image('hello');
        this.load.image('hotdog');
        this.load.image('humstar');
        this.load.image('ilkke');
        this.load.image('interference_ball_48x48');
        this.load.image('interference_tunnel');
        this.load.image('jets');
        this.load.image('kirito_by_vali233');
        this.load.image('lemming');
        this.load.image('longarrow');
        this.load.image('longarrow-down');
        this.load.image('longarrow-white');
        this.load.image('longarrow2');
        this.load.image('loop');
        this.load.image('maggot');
        this.load.image('magnify-glass-inside');
        this.load.image('magnify-glass-outside');
        this.load.image('mask1');
        this.load.image('mask2');
        this.load.image('master');
        this.load.image('melon');
        this.load.image('metalface78x92');
        this.load.image('metalslug_monster39x40');
        this.load.image('metalslug_mummy37x45');
        this.load.image('mine');
        this.load.image('mouse_jim_sachs');
        this.load.image('mushroom');
        this.load.image('mushroom2');
        this.load.image('onion');
        this.load.image('orange-cat1');
        this.load.image('orange-cat2');
        this.load.image('orb-blue');
        this.load.image('orb-green');
        this.load.image('orb-red');
        this.load.image('oz_pov_melting_disk');
        this.load.image('pacman_by_oz_28x28');
        this.load.image('palm-tree-left');
        this.load.image('palm-tree-right');
        this.load.image('pangball');
        this.load.image('parsec');
        this.load.image('particle1');
        this.load.image('pepper');
        this.load.image('phaser');
        this.load.image('phaser-dude');
        this.load.image('phaser-large');
        this.load.image('phaser-ship');
        this.load.image('phaser_tiny');
        this.load.image('phaser1');
        this.load.image('phaser2');
        this.load.image('pineapple');
        this.load.image('plane');
        this.load.image('platform');
        this.load.image('player');
        this.load.image('purple_ball');
        this.load.image('ra_dont_crack_under_pressure');
        this.load.image('rain');
        this.load.image('red_ball');
        this.load.image('rgblaser');
        this.load.image('saw');
        this.load.image('shinyball');
        this.load.image('ship');
        this.load.image('shmup-baddie');
        this.load.image('shmup-baddie-bullet');
        this.load.image('shmup-baddie2');
        this.load.image('shmup-baddie3');
        this.load.image('shmup-boom');
        this.load.image('shmup-bullet');
        this.load.image('shmup-ship');
        this.load.image('shmup-ship2');
        this.load.image('skull');
        this.load.image('slime');
        this.load.image('slimeeyes');
        this.load.image('snake');
        this.load.image('snowflake-pixel');
        this.load.image('snowflakes');
        this.load.image('snowflakes_large');
        this.load.image('sonic');
        this.load.image('sonic_havok_sanity');
        this.load.image('soundtracker');
        this.load.image('space-baddie');
        this.load.image('space-baddie-purple');
        this.load.image('spaceman');
        this.load.image('speakers');
        this.load.image('spikedball');
        this.load.image('spinObj_01');
        this.load.image('spinObj_02');
        this.load.image('spinObj_03');
        this.load.image('spinObj_04');
        this.load.image('spinObj_05');
        this.load.image('spinObj_06');
        this.load.image('spinObj_07');
        this.load.image('spinObj_08');
        this.load.image('splat');
        this.load.image('steelbox');
        this.load.image('stormlord-dragon96x64');
        this.load.image('strip1');
        this.load.image('strip2');
        this.load.image('tetrisblock1');
        this.load.image('tetrisblock2');
        this.load.image('tetrisblock3');
        this.load.image('thrust_ship');
        this.load.image('thrust_ship2');
        this.load.image('tinycar');
        this.load.image('tomato');
        this.load.image('treasure_trap');
        this.load.image('tree-european');
        this.load.image('ufo');
        this.load.image('ukko-fujilogy-texture-64x64');
        this.load.image('vu');
        this.load.image('wabbit');
        this.load.image('wasp');
        this.load.image('wizball');
        this.load.image('x2kship');
        this.load.image('xenon2_bomb');
        this.load.image('xenon2_ship');
        this.load.image('yellow_ball');
        this.load.image('zelda-hearts');
        this.load.image('zelda-life');
    }
}

const game = new Phaser.Game({
    type: Phaser.AUTO,
    width: 800,
    height: 800,
    backgroundColor: '#111111',
    scale: {
        mode: Phaser.Scale.FIT,
        autoCenter: Phaser.Scale.CENTER_BOTH
    },
    // uncomment here
    // loader: {
    //     imageLoadType: "HTMLImageElement",
    //     crossOrigin: "anonymous",
    //     async: true
    // },
    // uncomment end
    scene: [  Example ]
})

Additional Information

Repro steps:

1. Go to the sandbox page
2. Insert the code above inside the sandbox
3. Press shift+esc, make sure you have visible GPU Cache(right click headers if its not)
4. Find a subframe of phasersandbox.com
5. Refresh the code via an icon on the page
   Result: the subframe should have a few kb of GPU Cache
6. Uncomment loader options inside the config
7. Refresh page
   Result: GPU cache raises to +- 16 mb

Start at Phaser.Types.Core.LoaderConfig and the loader path selected by imageLoadType: "HTMLImageElement". Reproduce the sandbox example in Chrome with and without the loader options while monitoring GPU Cache in Chrome Task Manager. Done means the HTMLImageElement option no longer causes the reported cache increase while image loading remains functional.