diff --git a/app/components/app-shell.tsx b/app/components/app-shell.tsx
index 4f55633..75dfe68 100644
--- a/app/components/app-shell.tsx
+++ b/app/components/app-shell.tsx
@@ -11,8 +11,11 @@ interface AppShellProps {
     children: ReactNode;
 }
 
+const BACKGROUND_READY_TIMEOUT_MS = 4000;
+
 export default function AppShell({ children }: AppShellProps) {
     const [vantaReady, setVantaReady] = useState(false);
+    const [backgroundTimedOut, setBackgroundTimedOut] = useState(false);
     const [minDelayDone, setMinDelayDone] = useState(false);
     const [loaderVisible, setLoaderVisible] = useState(true);
     const [renderLoader, setRenderLoader] = useState(true);
@@ -23,11 +26,19 @@ export default function AppShell({ children }: AppShellProps) {
     }, []);
 
     useEffect(() => {
-        if (renderLoader && vantaReady && minDelayDone) {
+        const timer = window.setTimeout(
+            () => setBackgroundTimedOut(true),
+            BACKGROUND_READY_TIMEOUT_MS
+        );
+        return () => window.clearTimeout(timer);
+    }, []);
+
+    useEffect(() => {
+        if (renderLoader && (vantaReady || backgroundTimedOut) && minDelayDone) {
             const timer = window.setTimeout(() => setLoaderVisible(false), 100);
             return () => window.clearTimeout(timer);
         }
-    }, [minDelayDone, renderLoader, vantaReady]);
+    }, [backgroundTimedOut, minDelayDone, renderLoader, vantaReady]);
 
     useEffect(() => {
         if (!loaderVisible && renderLoader) {
diff --git a/app/components/vanta-fog.tsx b/app/components/vanta-fog.tsx
index e83b0e0..b6074ab 100644
--- a/app/components/vanta-fog.tsx
+++ b/app/components/vanta-fog.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 import { useTheme } from "next-themes";
 import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
-import FOG from "vanta/dist/vanta.fog.min";
 
 interface VantaFogBackgroundProps {
     className?: string;
@@ -13,6 +12,40 @@ type ThreeModule = typeof import("three");
 
 type BlendMode = "screen" | "multiply" | "normal";
 
+interface VantaEffect {
+    destroy: () => void;
+}
+
+const SOFTWARE_RENDERER_PATTERNS = ["swiftshader", "llvmpipe", "software rasterizer"];
+
+function supportsAcceleratedWebGl() {
+    const canvas = document.createElement("canvas");
+    const contextAttributes: WebGLContextAttributes = {
+        failIfMajorPerformanceCaveat: true,
+        powerPreference: "high-performance",
+    };
+
+    try {
+        const context =
+            canvas.getContext("webgl2", contextAttributes) ??
+            canvas.getContext("webgl", contextAttributes);
+
+        if (!context) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        const rendererInfo = context.getExtension("WEBGL_debug_renderer_info");
+        const renderer = rendererInfo
+            ? String(context.getParameter(rendererInfo.UNMASKED_RENDERER_WEBGL)).toLowerCase()
+            : "";
+        context.getExtension("WEBGL_lose_context")?.loseContext();
+
+        return !SOFTWARE_RENDERER_PATTERNS.some((pattern) => renderer.includes(pattern));
+    } catch {
+        return false;
+    }
+}
+
 interface VantaPreset {
     backgroundColor: string;
     canvasOpacity: number;
@@ -96,34 +129,52 @@ export default function VantaFogBackground({ className, onReadyChange }: VantaFo
 
         let cancelled = false;
         let timeout: number | undefined;
-        let effect: ReturnType<typeof FOG> | undefined;
+        let effect: VantaEffect | undefined;
 
         const init = async () => {
             setIsReady(false);
-            let THREE = threeRef.current;
-            if (!THREE) {
-                THREE = await import("three");
-                threeRef.current = THREE;
-            }
 
-            if (cancelled || !containerRef.current) {
+            if (!supportsAcceleratedWebGl()) {
+                document.documentElement.dataset.renderingMode = "software";
+                setIsReady(true);
                 return;
             }
 
-            effect = FOG({
-                el: containerRef.current,
-                gyroControls: false,
-                mouseControls: true,
-                THREE,
-                touchControls: true,
-                ...preset.vanta,
-            });
+            document.documentElement.dataset.renderingMode = "accelerated";
 
-            timeout = window.setTimeout(() => {
+            try {
+                let THREE = threeRef.current;
+                const fogModulePromise = import("vanta/dist/vanta.fog.min");
+                if (!THREE) {
+                    THREE = await import("three");
+                    threeRef.current = THREE;
+                }
+                const { default: FOG } = await fogModulePromise;
+
+                if (cancelled || !containerRef.current) {
+                    return;
+                }
+
+                effect = FOG({
+                    el: containerRef.current,
+                    gyroControls: false,
+                    mouseControls: true,
+                    THREE,
+                    touchControls: true,
+                    ...preset.vanta,
+                });
+
+                timeout = window.setTimeout(() => {
+                    if (!cancelled) {
+                        setIsReady(true);
+                    }
+                }, 180);
+            } catch {
                 if (!cancelled) {
+                    document.documentElement.dataset.renderingMode = "software";
                     setIsReady(true);
                 }
-            }, 180);
+            }
         };
 
         init();
diff --git a/app/globals.css b/app/globals.css
index 6381417..5cbeda2 100644
--- a/app/globals.css
+++ b/app/globals.css
@@ -34,6 +34,26 @@ body {
   background-color: var(--color-background);
 }
 
+/* Keep the static fallback responsive when the browser is using software rendering. */
+html[data-rendering-mode="software"] [class*="backdrop-blur"] {
+  -webkit-backdrop-filter: none !important;
+  backdrop-filter: none !important;
+}
+
+html[data-rendering-mode="software"]
+  [class*="blur-"]:not([class*="backdrop-blur"]) {
+  display: none !important;
+}
+
+html[data-rendering-mode="software"] *,
+html[data-rendering-mode="software"] *::before,
+html[data-rendering-mode="software"] *::after {
+  animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
+  animation-iteration-count: 1 !important;
+  scroll-behavior: auto !important;
+  transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
+}
+
 .social-button {
   color: var(--color-social-fg);
   background-color: var(--color-social-bg);