Today is the release of the Vulkan API 1.3 specification update and The Khronos Group has put up a press release going over the changes. A vital API for the future of Linux gaming and the Steam Deck of course, with Steam Play Proton using Vulkan for the translation from Direct 3D for DXVK and VKD3D-Proton.
At a glance:
- The Vulkan® 1.3 specification was released today, incorporating and mandating proven, developer-requested extensions to make that functionality consistently available across all supported platforms.
- The Vulkan Working Group is developing a public roadmap to provide guidance on when and where more advanced Vulkan functionality will be supported. The Vulkan Roadmap 2022 milestone for mid-to-high-end hardware defines features beyond Vulkan 1.3 that will be available starting this year.
- Vulkan profiles will be introduced, with tooling, in the February 2022 Vulkan 1.3 SDK to precisely specify, manage and use sets of API capabilities. Profiles will be used to communicate functionality requirements for roadmaps, markets, platforms, and hardware and software developers.
Vulkan 1.3 includes a number of extensions into the main core of Vulkan like dynamic rendering, an improved synchronization API and various other features. Khronos mentioned that no features added in 1.3 are optional to ensure consistency across the industry.
“In this new phase of Vulkan's evolution, the Vulkan Working Group is taking significant steps to reduce fragmentation across the ecosystem and increase Vulkan’s value to the industry as a reliable cross-platform GPU API. We continue to expose new hardware features as extensions while improving the Vulkan API with new core versions that are portable to a wide range of devices. And now with the Vulkan Roadmap, we are committing to enhanced transparency and communication to forge industry consensus on baseline functionality Profiles that best serve Vulkan’s key markets,” said Tom Olson, Vulkan Working Group Chair and Distinguished Engineer at Arm.
Vulkan continues to see industry-wide support from AMD, NVIDIA, Arm, Google and more companies.
On the driver side things are looking to be in pretty good shape. NVIDIA has release their new Vulkan Beta Driver version 470.62.22 which includes a "Fully conformant Vulkan 1.3 implementation". On the open source Mesa side there's merge requests up for Intel ANV and AMD RADV. NVIDIA also have their own blog post going over some details.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Quoting: GuestQuoting: ShabbyXQuoting: GuestQuoting: ShabbyXQuoting: Guesthttps://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/mesa-dev/2022-February/225668.html
To be fair on links, I originally saw it here:
http://tuxmachines.org/node/161051
That's pretty quick to have mesa supporting Vulkan 1.3 (even if it's only RC1 at the time of writing).
Mesa is bigger than just some open source drivers for a niche OS. It's actually a solid codebase with a lot of eyes on it.
Show some respect
uh.....what?
Not sure if I'm reading it in the tone intended....
Mesa has traditionally waited until some spec is released before implementing it, meaning (at least in the past) it had lagged behind such support. Being already in a position to support Vulkan 1.3 suggests even more of a changing landscape, where Mesa is on par with the proprietary driver releases and that important new features are being provided at the same time between proprietary and FOSS drivers (thanks to community involvement).
The "show some respect part" was obviously a joke, but my reply was serious and it actually applies as a reply to your new comment too. Mesa is a big thing now. It had 1.3 conformance submissions submitted before 1.3 was even announced FYI.
Much like Linux itself, it's not so much the "community" that's driving it anymore as it is various companies.
Quite aware of where most Mesa development comes from and just how far it's come, but it's still a collection of drivers, developed in full view of and with the community. Equally however, AMD can't dictate development direction for the entirety of Mesa, nor can Intel, or anyone else. Having possible Vulkan 1.3 support so early is a compliment of how well Mesa is doing now, not a criticism, with underlying implication of hope that this will continue in the future.
If I mention that and it's read in a negative way, then I most definitely need to walk away from even more of the community.
Uh no, of course it was obvious you were complementing mesa. And yes, they are awesome. Perhaps you misunderstood my original comment. What I meant was "of course mesa is awesome, how dare you be surprised" in a joking way.
Not sure how you thought I would read your comments as a criticism of mesa, lol
Patreon
PayPal
See more from me