diff --git a/render/src/pixelrag_render/chrome.py b/render/src/pixelrag_render/chrome.py
index e2a44d6..bcae582 100644
--- a/render/src/pixelrag_render/chrome.py
+++ b/render/src/pixelrag_render/chrome.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 import json
 import os
 import platform
+import re
 import subprocess
 import sys
 import tarfile
@@ -34,6 +35,17 @@
 )
 
 
+def _playwright_revision(path: str) -> int:
+    """Integer Playwright Chromium revision embedded in ``path``.
+
+    Playwright caches browsers under ``chromium-<revision>`` with a plain
+    monotonically-increasing integer revision. Paths without a recognizable
+    revision sort last (``-1``) rather than raising.
+    """
+    m = re.search(r"chromium-(\d+)", path)
+    return int(m.group(1)) if m else -1
+
+
 def _candidate_chrome_paths(system: str | None = None) -> list[str]:
     """Ordered Chrome binary candidates for the given OS (default: this OS).
 
@@ -55,8 +67,11 @@ def _candidate_chrome_paths(system: str | None = None) -> list[str]:
     paths.append(str(INSTALL_DIR / "headless_shell"))
 
     def add_playwright(cache_dir: Path, rel_glob: str) -> None:
-        # Newest chromium-NNNN first.
-        paths.extend(sorted(glob.glob(str(cache_dir / rel_glob)), reverse=True))
+        # Newest chromium-NNNN first. Sort by integer revision, not lexically:
+        # a string sort ranks "chromium-999" above "chromium-1187" once the
+        # revision crosses the 3→4 digit boundary, picking an older browser.
+        matches = glob.glob(str(cache_dir / rel_glob))
+        paths.extend(sorted(matches, key=_playwright_revision, reverse=True))
 
     if system == "Darwin":
         add_playwright(
diff --git a/tests/test_chrome_paths.py b/tests/test_chrome_paths.py
index 41037d7..7c54b55 100644
--- a/tests/test_chrome_paths.py
+++ b/tests/test_chrome_paths.py
@@ -31,3 +31,30 @@ def test_find_chrome_returns_executable():
     # On any supported dev box this resolves to an installed/usable binary.
     path = find_chrome()
     assert os.path.isfile(path) and os.access(path, os.X_OK)
+
+
+def test_playwright_chromium_sorted_by_revision_not_lexically(monkeypatch):
+    """Newer Playwright Chromium revisions must rank ahead of older ones.
+
+    Playwright caches browsers under ``chromium-<revision>`` with a plain
+    integer revision. A lexicographic sort ranks ``chromium-999`` above
+    ``chromium-1187`` once revisions cross the 3→4 digit boundary, so the
+    resolver would pick an *older* browser. Sorting by integer revision fixes
+    that — assert the candidate list is newest-first regardless of digit count.
+    """
+    import glob
+
+    found = [
+        "/home/u/.cache/ms-playwright/chromium-999/chrome-linux/chrome",
+        "/home/u/.cache/ms-playwright/chromium-1208/chrome-linux/chrome",
+        "/home/u/.cache/ms-playwright/chromium-1187/chrome-linux/chrome",
+    ]
+    monkeypatch.setattr(glob, "glob", lambda pattern: list(found))
+
+    paths = _candidate_chrome_paths("Linux")
+    revisions = [p for p in paths if "ms-playwright" in p]
+    assert revisions == [
+        "/home/u/.cache/ms-playwright/chromium-1208/chrome-linux/chrome",
+        "/home/u/.cache/ms-playwright/chromium-1187/chrome-linux/chrome",
+        "/home/u/.cache/ms-playwright/chromium-999/chrome-linux/chrome",
+    ]