So AMD has announced a low level graphics API that will be cross-platform. This will make things very interesting that's for sure. Their slides specifically said this:
It didn't list any actual platforms planned though. Given their past support for Linux I can't see them missing us out though.
The first game to use this is a Windows, Xbox and Playstation FPS called Battlefield 4 and the API itself AMD claims is more powerful than any other API currently.
One image comes to mind:
I think Simon Roth developer of Maia said it rather well:
AMD is less than amazingly popular with Linux users due to their terribly buggy and under-performing drivers but it remains to be seen how this will work out for them. It could be the best thing since sliced bread or it could be moulding bread, who knows. I will keep a keen on eye it though.
We already have OpenGL which fills the role of a cross-platform API, but the problem is that each console runs a different graphics API so this would be a solution to that as well.
Mantle of course is an open API meaning Nvidia, Intel or anyone should be able to use it, it's the only way it would work they couldn't bring out a closed AMD only API as it would be dead on arrival.
The great thing about this is that by AMD powering the WiiU, Playstation 4 and Xbox One if it gets popular it will be a lot easier for developers to be cross platform including to Linux if AMD plans on supporting us with it as well, since developers don't have to change the graphics API they use. It's a great idea in my eyes and if it supports Linux then I hope it works out well and that NVIDIA and Intel jump on board with them.
It's never that simple though, sadly.
Source Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
QuoteWill be cross platform, very important to us
It didn't list any actual platforms planned though. Given their past support for Linux I can't see them missing us out though.
The first game to use this is a Windows, Xbox and Playstation FPS called Battlefield 4 and the API itself AMD claims is more powerful than any other API currently.
One image comes to mind:
I think Simon Roth developer of Maia said it rather well:
Mantle will only be worth using when it is on every platform, and supported by all vendors on all chips. ...So probably never.
Simon Roth (@SimoRoth) September 26, 2013
AMD is less than amazingly popular with Linux users due to their terribly buggy and under-performing drivers but it remains to be seen how this will work out for them. It could be the best thing since sliced bread or it could be moulding bread, who knows. I will keep a keen on eye it though.
We already have OpenGL which fills the role of a cross-platform API, but the problem is that each console runs a different graphics API so this would be a solution to that as well.
Mantle of course is an open API meaning Nvidia, Intel or anyone should be able to use it, it's the only way it would work they couldn't bring out a closed AMD only API as it would be dead on arrival.
The great thing about this is that by AMD powering the WiiU, Playstation 4 and Xbox One if it gets popular it will be a lot easier for developers to be cross platform including to Linux if AMD plans on supporting us with it as well, since developers don't have to change the graphics API they use. It's a great idea in my eyes and if it supports Linux then I hope it works out well and that NVIDIA and Intel jump on board with them.
It's never that simple though, sadly.
Source Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Some you may have missed, popular articles from the last month:
The comments on this article are closed.
And now, for a different (non-gamer) perspective on AMD video & Linux:
Yesterday I was talking to a gentoo comrade at work and mentioned my new desktop has a radeon, and got an enthused story about how awesome free radeon drivers are for non-gamers. He has had 6 years of trouble-free experience buying low-end (as in $20 fanless!) radeon cards for himself and family members and always having them work and continue to work through all the gentoo upgrades.
AMD has major strengths and weaknesses, and thus experience varies a LOT from person to person. They are the best at discrete cards and free drivers, but lose big if you only care about the best experience with proprietary drivers.
Yesterday I was talking to a gentoo comrade at work and mentioned my new desktop has a radeon, and got an enthused story about how awesome free radeon drivers are for non-gamers. He has had 6 years of trouble-free experience buying low-end (as in $20 fanless!) radeon cards for himself and family members and always having them work and continue to work through all the gentoo upgrades.
AMD has major strengths and weaknesses, and thus experience varies a LOT from person to person. They are the best at discrete cards and free drivers, but lose big if you only care about the best experience with proprietary drivers.
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Quoting: Quote from scaineAh, Linus. Not sure you should ever rely on him to back up your well reasoned views. He did no one a favour when he flipped Nvidia a finger. Not him, not linux, and certainly not Ubuntu or Valve when they have to ask Nvidia to support technologies like Mir. I'd love to be a fly on the wall of that negotiation.
Like it or not, Linus does not represent Ubuntu or Valve, and not even really Linux, although his comments came from the perspective of a kernel developer, and unlike AMD and Intel the people at Nvidia have shown little to no interest in working with them to further the actual Linux graphics stack.
Which, incidentally, is why Ubuntu has to try so hard to sell Mir to them, as by accepting Nvidia as it stands they have left themselves powerless, while people have been free to run Wayland with drivers actively supported by AMD and Intel for years now. That is one of the many advantage of supporting the actual in-kernel Linux graphics stack.
Quoting: Quote from scaineAs for Hamish pointing out AMD's "huge contributions", I'd have to see examples.
Since you use the blob drivers you do not really use the Linux graphics stack as such, so no, you may not have seen them. For those of us who do, the contributions are huge.
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Quoting: Quote from SpeedsterYesterday I was talking to a gentoo comrade at work and mentioned my new desktop has a radeon, and got an enthused story about how awesome free radeon drivers are for non-gamers. He has had 6 years of trouble-free experience buying low-end (as in $20 fanless!) radeon cards for himself and family members and always having them work and continue to work through all the gentoo upgrades.
I have been doing the same thing with more higher end radeon cards for almost the same time as a gamer and have had much the same experience.
Quoting: Quote from SpeedsterAMD has major strengths and weaknesses, and thus experience varies a LOT from person to person. They are the best at discrete cards and free drivers, but lose big if you only care about the best experience with proprietary drivers.
That is probably a fair summary.
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Well at least it's not DirectX and AMD could port Mantle to Linux someday. So i'm pretty happy with every AAA developer who prefers to use Mantle instead of DirectX :P.
But well, it's a solution to a non-existing problem and as long as NVidia and Intel won't support it, i can't see a future for this API.
But well, it's a solution to a non-existing problem and as long as NVidia and Intel won't support it, i can't see a future for this API.
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