Introduction
Google has just launched an official MCP server integrated into Chrome: the Chrome DevTools MCP .
It's a near-complete replacement for the Playwright MCP , offering more features,
less configuration, and a much lighter use of context.
Why replace Playwright?
Playwright already allowed users to automate a Chrome browser: clicking, typing, inspecting, testing a website…
but required a Chrome extension for the agent to communicate with the browser.
The new Chrome DevTools MCP , developed by Google, eliminates this dependency:
it connects directly to Chrome without any extensions or additional configuration.
Simply add an mcp.json containing the server configuration, accessible from the
Chrome DevTools GitHub repository. In a few seconds, everything will be up and running in your development environment
(e.g., VS Code or Claude Code ).
Comparison of MCP servers
- Playwright MCP: 21 tools
- Chrome DevTools MCP: 26 tools
- Context used: 21% for Chrome DevTools versus 26% for Playwright
The new server offers additional tools: Performance Start/Stop Trace ,
Evaluate Script , Analyze Insight , etc.
These additions allow you to analyze performance, execute code on the fly, and understand the behavior of a web application.
Real-world testing
During the test, the Chrome DevTools agent opened Chrome, went to YouTube, searched for a channel,
and then clicked on the most recent video—all automatically, without any extensions.
The result used less context and ran faster than Playwright.
Observed results
- Fewer tokens consumed
- Faster execution
- No extension installation required
- Seamless automation directly in Chrome
Benefits for local development
Developers can now test and audit their local web applications more efficiently.
The agent can open a site on localhost , analyze the console and network requests,
detect data leaks in headers, and identify performance bottlenecks.
In practice, Chrome DevTools MCP allows an AI agent to truly understand a web application :
DOM structure, scripts, loading times, network errors, everything is accessible.
Use with Claude Code and Cloud Code
Integration with Claude Code and Cloud Code is seamless: simply accept the addition of the MCP server.
The percentage of context usage is visible in real time, which helps balance working memory between tools and instructions.
Configure the server
The TOML file equivalent to mcp.json is easy to create:
simply copy the configuration and add options like `headless = true` if you want to
run Chrome without a graphical interface.
However, for visual debugging, it's often preferable to keep it in visible mode.
Conclusion
Chrome DevTools MCP is lighter, faster, and more comprehensive than Playwright MCP .
Its native integration with Chrome reduces friction and improves the reliability of automated tests.
For agent creators and web developers, this is a major step forward:
less configuration, more control, and finer analysis directly at the heart of the browser.
In summary: an indispensable tool for modern agent, testing, and debugging workflows.