pixijs-create

create pixi.js is the official CLI for scaffolding a new PixiJS v8 project. Run it with any package manager (npm, yarn, pnpm, bun) and pick a template from the interactive menu, or pass --template to skip prompts. It writes a self-contained project folder; you then cd in, install dependencies, and run the dev script.

Quick Start

Scaffold a new project with interactive prompts:

npm create pixi.js@latest

Or skip prompts by passing a project name and template:

npm create pixi.js@latest my-game -- --template bundler-vite

Then:

cd my-game
npm install
npm run dev

Requires Node.js 18+ or 20+. Some templates (notably creation-web and framework-react) may require a newer Node version; the package manager will warn if so.

Adding PixiJS to an existing project

If you already have a bundler, framework, or project set up, skip the CLI and install the package directly:

npm install pixi.js

Then import from pixi.js and construct an Application as shown in pixijs-application. The CLI templates are a convenience for new projects; they don't add anything to the library that npm install pixi.js can't give you.

Related skills: pixijs-application (how the scaffolded new Application() + app.init() entry point works), pixijs-core-concepts (renderers and the render loop), pixijs-scene-core-concepts (scene graph fundamentals for the first things you'll add to the stage), pixijs-assets (loading textures, fonts, and bundles the template expects you to drop into public/ or src/assets/).

Core Patterns

Choose a package manager

The command is the same shape for every package manager:

npm create pixi.js@latest
yarn create pixi.js
pnpm create pixi.js
bun create pixi.js

Under npm 7+ you must pass a -- before CLI flags so npm doesn't consume them:

npm create pixi.js@latest my-game -- --template bundler-vite

Yarn, pnpm, and bun don't need the extra separator:

yarn create pixi.js my-game --template bundler-vite
pnpm create pixi.js my-game --template bundler-vite
bun create pixi.js my-game --template bundler-vite

Use . as the project name to scaffold into the current directory.

Interactive flow

Running with no arguments walks through prompts:

1. Project name (defaults to pixi-project).
2. Framework / template category.
3. Variant (TypeScript vs JavaScript where applicable).
4. Whether to install dependencies immediately (some runners).

At the end, the CLI prints the cd + install + dev commands for the manager you invoked it with.

Non-interactive flow

Pass a project name and --template to skip all prompts. This is the form you want for scripts, CI, and quickstart docs:

npm create pixi.js@latest my-game -- --template bundler-vite

Available template presets

Templates fall into two categories:

• Bundler templates (bundler-*): generic PixiJS setup wired up with your bundler of choice. Use one of these when you want to pick your own structure.
• Creation templates (creation-*): platform-tailored starters with extras already wired in (AssetPack, sound, UI, scene routing). Use one of these when you want batteries included.
• Framework templates (framework-*): PixiJS embedded inside a host framework like React.
• Extension templates (extension-*): scaffolding for building a reusable PixiJS package.

For most new projects, bundler-vite is the recommended starting point.

The live list is maintained in the create-pixi repo; run npm create pixi.js@latest without arguments to see the current menu if you need to confirm.

Post-scaffold flow

Every template ships with the same three-step onboarding:

cd my-game
npm install
npm run dev

npm run dev starts the local dev server on the default port (Vite 5173, webpack 8080, etc.; the template's README has the exact number). Changes to src/ hot-reload without reloading the whole page.

Other scripts every template exposes (names may vary slightly by preset):

• npm run build: produce a production build in dist/.
• npm run preview / npm run serve: serve the production build locally.
• npm run lint: run the template's configured linter if it ships one.

Scaffolding into an existing directory

Use . as the project name to write into the current working directory. The CLI refuses to run if non-empty and conflicting files exist unless you confirm the prompt.

mkdir my-game
cd my-game
npm create pixi.js@latest . -- --template bundler-vite

TypeScript setup

PixiJS supports WebGPU, so its type declarations depend on the WebGPU types. Where those come from depends on your TypeScript version.

• TypeScript 5: no WebGPU types are built in, so PixiJS adds @webgpu/types for you. No additional setup required.
• TypeScript 6 and 7: the WebGPU types are built into the "dom" library, but some releases leave parts out, such as GPUTextureUsage. Use @types/web, which has the full set, in place of "dom". Remove @webgpu/types from types if it's there, since it conflicts with the built-in types.

npm install --save-dev @types/web

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "lib": ["esnext"],
    "types": ["@types/web"]
  }
}

Next steps

After npm run dev starts, the template opens on a blank or bunny-sprite scene. The usual progression is:

1. Read pixijs-application to understand how the template's entry point constructs new Application() and calls await app.init(...), how app.stage / app.renderer / app.canvas hang together, and how the ResizePlugin and TickerPlugin behave by default.
2. Read pixijs-core-concepts for the renderer and render-loop mental model.
3. Read pixijs-scene-core-concepts before adding your first non-trivial scene so you know the container-vs-leaf rule upfront.
4. Drop in textures via pixijs-assets once you're ready to load real art.

Common Mistakes

[HIGH] Missing -- separator on npm 7+

Wrong:

npm create pixi.js@latest my-game --template bundler-vite

Correct:

npm create pixi.js@latest my-game -- --template bundler-vite

npm 7+ consumes flags after the package spec unless you pass -- to forward them. Without the separator, the CLI ignores --template and drops back to the interactive prompt. Yarn, pnpm, and bun don't need the separator.

[MEDIUM] Running with an old Node version

PixiJS requires Node 18+ or 20+. Some templates (framework-react, creation-web) expect a newer Node for their tooling. Upgrade Node before re-running the CLI if you see an "engines" warning from your package manager.

[MEDIUM] Top-level await app.init() broken in Vite production builds

On Vite versions <=6.0.6, top-level await works in dev but breaks in production builds, so a bundler-vite project that does this at module scope will fail after npm run build:

const app = new Application();
await app.init({ resizeTo: window }); // broken at module top level in prod

Wrap the init in an async IIFE instead:

(async () => {
  const app = new Application();
  await app.init({ resizeTo: window });
  document.body.appendChild(app.canvas);
})();

Upgrading Vite past 6.0.6 also resolves it, but the IIFE pattern is safe on every version and matches the PixiJS quick-start guide.

[HIGH] Keeping @webgpu/types in types on TypeScript 6 or 7

Wrong:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "types": ["@webgpu/types"]
  }
}

Correct: remove the "@webgpu/types" entry and keep any others.

TypeScript 6 and 7 declare the WebGPU types in their built-in "dom" library, so @webgpu/types declares them a second time. With skipLibCheck: false that produces dozens of conflicting-declaration errors inside lib.dom.d.ts and @webgpu/types. Keep it on TypeScript 5 only, where PixiJS loads it for you anyway.

[MEDIUM] Cannot find name 'GPUTextureUsage' on TypeScript 6 or 7

Up to TypeScript 6.0.3 and 7.0.2, the built-in "dom" library has no WebGPU flag constants (GPUBufferUsage, GPUColorWrite, GPUMapMode, GPUShaderStage, GPUTextureUsage), so raw WebGPU code that uses them fails with TS2552. Adding @webgpu/types back only compiles with skipLibCheck: true, because it conflicts with the built-in types. Install @types/web 0.0.352 or later, drop "dom" from lib, and add "@types/web" to types alongside any existing entries, as shown in TypeScript setup.

[MEDIUM] moduleResolution: "node" breaks subpath imports

Wrong:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "moduleResolution": "node"
  }
}

Correct:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "module": "esnext",
    "moduleResolution": "bundler"
  }
}

"node" (also called "node10") ignores the exports field in the PixiJS package.json, so import 'pixi.js/advanced-blend-modes' and other subpath imports don't resolve. TypeScript 6 reports TS2882 for them and deprecates the setting (TS5107); TypeScript 7 removes it (TS5108). Use "bundler" if you use a bundler, or "nodenext" otherwise.

API Reference

• create-pixi on GitHub
• create-pixi documentation site
• Application: the class the generated entry point instantiates.
• TypeScript guide: setup for TypeScript 5, 6, and 7.