{"id":92705,"date":"2016-05-23T13:04:20","date_gmt":"2016-05-23T11:04:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/?p=92705"},"modified":"2016-05-23T13:33:53","modified_gmt":"2016-05-23T11:33:53","slug":"introducing-vulkan-the-future-of-open-platform-gaming-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/features\/92705-introducing-vulkan-the-future-of-open-platform-gaming-technology","title":{"rendered":"Introducing Vulkan – the future of open-platform gaming technology"},"content":{"rendered":"

Meet Vulkan<\/strong> <\/a>– the new low-level API that directly challenges DirectX 12 and promises better performance across all platforms.<\/p>\n

An API (Application Programming Interface)<\/strong> is a set of tools that allows developers to easily build software and applications according to a uniform set of rules. The interface essentially provides the ‘building blocks’ for developers to create\u00a0their software.<\/p>\n

This is important for the gaming industry, as creating advanced software such as video games is made infinitely easier by the use of APIs.<\/p>\n

DirectX 12<\/strong> is the most advanced API to date, allowing games to reach higher levels of performance and use\u00a0resources more effectively than DirectX 11. However, the API is owned by Microsoft and is only compatible with Microsoft Windows<\/strong> and Xbox<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This presents a problem to game developers and gamers alike, as performance fluctuates between platforms depending on the API used – with cross-platform ports experiencing lower performance as a result.<\/p>\n

This is the problem that the Vulkan API is designed to overcome.<\/p>\n

Vulkan API<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vulkan is an API created by Khronos and built on the basic structure of\u00a0AMD’s Mantle API.<\/p>\n

It is the successor to OpenGL<\/strong>, and is set to perform on par with DirectX 12 once it reaches the same stage in development.<\/p>\n

Khronos decided to completely abandon the ageing OpenGL API and build a low-level set of tools that would compete directly with DirectX 12<\/strong> on all platforms.<\/p>\n

The excitement around Vulkan is based on the fact that it is a low-level API which will be applicable across all gaming\u00a0platforms. This means that the same graphics-performance building blocks will be used on your PC<\/strong>, PlayStation<\/strong> and even your Android<\/strong> phone, resulting in higher-quality ports and increased cross-platform development.<\/p>\n

Benchmarks<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vulkan 1.0 has been released, and although the API is yet to continue evolving and receiving performance upgrades, it already surpasses OpenGL\u00a0in graphics performance.<\/p>\n

The API will be supported on all\u00a0recent\u00a0graphics card with the correct drivers installed.<\/p>\n

Check out the benchmarks and gameplay below for more detailed information:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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