For some server applications using WASM the biggest performance benefit is not really how fast it is running but how fast it is to start a new WASM instance compared to launching a new OS process.
However, I think it would be possible to make systems in which similar instances, because they are written in a type-safe, memory-safe language in the first place, could bypass WASM and both start up fast and run fast optimised code.
I have done some research on portable bytecodes, and have some novel ideas for getting more performance, but I agree that the inherent problem remains.
One thing that help make optimised C/C++ fast is that optimisers assume that undefined behaviour doesn't get triggered. But in a system for portable code, you can't just assume - you'd have to prove that it can not exist to be able to do the same optimisations, and that is far from straightforward. And when it triggers, it has to work the same say, or it won't be portable (bug-compatible) between hardware.
However, I think it would be possible to make systems in which similar instances, because they are written in a type-safe, memory-safe language in the first place, could bypass WASM and both start up fast and run fast optimised code.
I have done some research on portable bytecodes, and have some novel ideas for getting more performance, but I agree that the inherent problem remains. One thing that help make optimised C/C++ fast is that optimisers assume that undefined behaviour doesn't get triggered. But in a system for portable code, you can't just assume - you'd have to prove that it can not exist to be able to do the same optimisations, and that is far from straightforward. And when it triggers, it has to work the same say, or it won't be portable (bug-compatible) between hardware.