Pixijs Assets

The Assets API is PixiJS's asset loader, resolver, and cache in one singleton. Use it to load textures, video, spritesheets, fonts, JSON, and other resources with format detection, resolution switching, bundle grouping, progress tracking, and GPU cleanup.

Quick Start

await Assets.init({ basePath: "/static/" });

const texture = await Assets.load("bunny.png");
const sprite = new Sprite(texture);
app.stage.addChild(sprite);

const [hero, enemy] = await Assets.load(["hero.png", "enemy.png"]);

await Assets.load({
  alias: "logo",
  src: "logo.webp",
});

const logo = new Sprite(Assets.get("logo"));

Assets.init() is optional but recommended for setting basePath, texturePreference, or a manifest. After init, call Assets.load() with a URL, alias, array, or UnresolvedAsset; resolved assets are cached and re-resolved by Assets.get().

Supported file types

The Parser ID column is the value you pass to the top-level parser field on an asset descriptor to force a specific loader. See "Forcing a parser" below.

Forcing a parser with parser

By default, PixiJS picks a loader by matching the file extension or MIME type. When your URL lacks an extension (CDN signed URLs, blob URLs, API endpoints, content-hashed paths), the resolver can't tell the loader what to do. Set the top-level parser field on the asset descriptor to force a specific loader:

// Signed CDN URL with no extension
const texture = await Assets.load({
  src: "https://cdn.example.com/signed/abc123?token=xyz",
  parser: "texture",
});

// API endpoint that returns JSON
const data = await Assets.load({
  alias: "config",
  src: "https://api.example.com/v1/config",
  parser: "json",
});

// Extension-less font URL with explicit family
await Assets.load({
  src: "https://cdn.example.com/fonts/hero-v2",
  parser: "web-font",
  data: { family: "Hero", weights: ["400", "700"] },
});

// Video stream without a file extension
const clipTexture = await Assets.load({
  src: "https://cdn.example.com/stream/xyz",
  parser: "video",
  data: { mime: "video/mp4", muted: true, playsinline: true },
});

The parser field goes at the top level of the asset descriptor (alongside src and data), not inside data. It takes any parser ID from the "Supported file types" table above:

• 'texture', 'svg', 'video': image, SVG, and video textures
• 'json', 'text': JSON and plain text
• 'web-font', 'bitmap-font': web and bitmap fonts
• 'spritesheet': texture atlas JSON
• 'gif': animated GIFs (requires 'pixi.js/gif')
• 'basis', 'dds', 'ktx', 'ktx2': compressed textures (each requires its side-effect import)

When you need it

• Signed CDN URLs: https://cdn.example.com/get?id=abc123 has no extension the loader can test against.
• Blob or ObjectURL: URL.createObjectURL(blob) produces blob:... URLs with no extension.
• Custom routing: /api/assets/hero-v2 where the server decides the content type.
• Content-hashed paths without suffix: some build pipelines produce names like /static/abc123def instead of /static/abc123def.png.

If the URL _does_ have an extension, you don't need parser; let auto-detection do its job. Only set parser when detection can't work.

loadParser is deprecated

The v7 loadParser field still works but emits a deprecation warning. Use parser for new code.

// Old (deprecated)
await Assets.load({ src: "...", loadParser: "loadTextures" });

// New
await Assets.load({ src: "...", parser: "texture" });

Topics

Every asset workflow is covered in a reference file. Pick the one that matches the question: