Confirmed: Vulkan Is The Next-Gen Graphics API

[justmy2cents]

i'm curious if they will just show sw side or will they approach hw side too. like which if any cards will be supported.

this is probably one of the most interesting points when new API is unveiled. support only future and devs won't really bother to check until adoption of cards that support it is high enough. support last gen and there is a big chance that high percentage already owns it

[d2kx]

I think it's pretty likely that Google will support this in future versions of Android, because they want a competitor to Apple Metal and not only rely on OpenGL ES 3.1 + AEP.

It will be huge if/when Unity, Unreal Engine etc. add this as a build target for desktop platforms.

[blackout23]

i'm curious if they will just show sw side or will they approach hw side too. like which if any cards will be supported.

this is probably one of the most interesting points when new API is unveiled. support only future and devs won't really bother to check until adoption of cards that support it is high enough. support last gen and there is a big chance that high percentage already owns it

I hope it will work on all DX11 hardware (NVIDIA 400 series and newer). This would coincide with the hardware support of the current branch of their Linux drivers. DX12 is also supposed to work on all DX11 cards with varying levels of feature support however.

[jagoly]

This is a good time to be getting into the industry

[SXX⁣]

I have to disagree. A compact, clean low-level API can be easier to deal with than a convoluted high-level monstrosity.

Main problem that low-level API likely won't provide many features that single-man project or just hobby project expect to use. Won't be surprised if in near future we'll see something like OpenGL implementation on top of this new API.

[mdias]

Main problem that low-level API likely won't provide many features that single-man project or just hobby project expect to use. Won't be surprised if in near future we'll see something like OpenGL implementation on top of this new API.

I don't think there's a need for an OGL implementation on top of a lower level API. You will either want a simpler API than OpenGL (some kind of minimalist graphics engine) or you don't mind developing your own engine around the new API.

I don't think the new API will be much harder to develop with if you already develop with OGL. Actually, if the shaders match HLSL better than current GLSL does, it will simplify the lifes of many developers.

[blackout23]

I don't think there's a need for an OGL implementation on top of a lower level API.

I think many are hoping that this would solve some of the problems of current OpenGL if you implement it on top of the new Vulkan driver model.

[mdias]

I think many are hoping that this would solve some of the problems of current OpenGL if you implement it on top of the new Vulkan driver model.

I don't see how. We already have something like that in Mesa (GL on top of Gallium3D).

[Pecisk]

I have fingers crossed for Vulkan, though I am very skeptical regarding that it is deemed low level API - seriously, if that's all what industry can do - cave in to hardware manufacturers - then we are in deeper shit that I knew. Still, if that's state of play, carry on. If it's low level API, just make it sensible and logical to use.

As for OpenGL carrying on, it is meant that OpenGL 4 and ES equalent will continue to be supported, although there won't be OpenGL 5 (as I know of). That was part of deal struck with legacy vendors.

[log0]

Main problem that low-level API likely won't provide many features that single-man project or just hobby project expect to use. Won't be surprised if in near future we'll see something like OpenGL implementation on top of this new API.

It should not be the task of the GPU API to provide "convenience" features. This is what game engines/libs are for. Btw OpenGL is not that good at providing those features anyway.