Microsoft's New Open-Source Project Is "Shader Conductor" For Cross-Compiling HLSL

[Brisse]

The network infrastructure isn't anywhere near good enough for that in countries where people would actually pay for the service.

I agree with this and it's a big reason why streamed video games will, at least initially fail, but the games industry is clearly moving towards this anyway. Microsoft, Sony, Nvidia, EA, Ubisoft and others are making big investments in this area as we speak. Valve hasn't said anything but I think they are working on it behind the scenes as well and I actually think Proton is part of it because it allows them to use Linux servers instead of having to pay for a huge amount of Windows licenses. This might actually have been Protons purpose all along to be honest.

[BoMbY]

Just why? Are they really planning on going to release a Windows-compatible Linux system like I'm joking for some time? Something like a Linux with a Windows desktop environment?

[starshipeleven]

Well there was sometime ago news about gaming as a service running on cloud instances, so you wouldn't need a powerful GPU to render them. Maybe they are going to deploy something like this using Linux as the cloud or for various motives...

The network infrastructure isn't anywhere near good enough for that in countries where people would actually pay for the service.

[TheOne]

Well there was sometime ago news about gaming as a service running on cloud instances, so you wouldn't need a powerful GPU to render them. Maybe they are going to deploy something like this using Linux as the cloud or for various motives...

[TemplarGR]

Microsoft is preparing for the Windows L world, the linux-based Windows distro of the future... For that, they need to ensure portability of HLSL to OpenGL/Vulkan...

It is ridiculous to assume this is a move to ensure people target HLSL first... They do this ANYWAY. Remember, Direct3D reigns supreme. For them to actually bother to make an opensource project like that.... Makes one think...

[ms178]

Presumably their hope is that game developers will focus on a Direct3D/HLSL-first workflow and only later than focus on other graphics APIs like OpenGL/Vulkan/Metal, rather than the other way around.

More choice for the developers, the better, right?

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Microsoft's New Open-Source Project Is "Shader Conductor" For Cross-Compiling HLSL

The latest open-source project out of Microsoft under an MIT license is Shader Conductor, which allows for cross-compiling HLSL to other languages -- including GLSL for OpenGL/Vulkan usage...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Microsoft-Shader-Conductor