The Khronos Group has released a new version of Vulkan, featuring vendor-agnostic support for Ray Tracing. As such, developers using Vulkan 1.2.162 can enable Ray Tracing effects on both AMD and NVIDIA hardware.
Vulkan 1.2.162 includes the finalized versions of VK_KHR_acceleration_structure, VK_KHR_ray_tracing_pipeline, VK_KHR_ray_query, VK_KHR_pipeline_library, and VK_KHR_deferred_host_operations.
As The Khronos Group noted, the Vulkan ray-tracing specification now has the support of AMD, Arm, EA, Epic Games, Facebook, Imagination, Intel, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, Samsung, Unity, Valve, and other stakeholders.
Do note that games already using Vulkan Ray Tracing will only work on NVIDIA’s hardware. In order for these games to work with AMD’s hardware, developers will have to implement this latest version of the Ray Tracing extensions in their games. Right now, there are only two games using NVIDIA’s Vulkan Ray Tracing extensions. These are Quake II RTX and Wolfenstein Youngblood.
Stay tuned for more!
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Good news, the more widely available something is the more the chance the dev’s will actually use it and optimize for it.
Very much so. RT was never going anywhere with on Nvidia behind. But, now that it is on consoles and AMD as well, it has a future.
True but with RTX cards it’s still has much more performance and therefore more viable than anything AMD has out.
With consoles setting the bar for RT going forward, I think the AMD will be fine for most games. But yeah we may get some where they need to be turned down or off for good framerates.
Good thing is that RT is rather straight forward to add compared to raster faked effects, we will see way more of that on PC as the tech progresses while the consoles are stuck with what they got.
They already have less RT and that’s even when they just came out the gate, look at the DF video on RT in WD Legion where the brand new consoles RT are gimped already – Its one title but seems very indicative as it was lower quality and had the performance of the “old” 2060.
RT would have been the future either way really, its inevitable. Almost in the ballpark of going from 2d to 3d – The devs want to push RT pref yday.. will save them of all the raster faking. That said it will go way quicker now especially when 2/3 of the major platforms utilize the same RT api’s
True, with common API between Windows 10 and Xbox MS can promote DXR to many developers.
I hope ID Software (Bethesda) rewrite own ID Tech Engine 7 to DirectX 12 Ultimate with DXR and release it for free to everyone. Just like MS done with havok. PC and Xbox developers need good free engine because future of Epic Unreal is unclear after Epic and Sony start partnership on Unreal 5. To this day Epic don’t show Unreal 5 demos for PC or Xbox. MS need invest a lot with acquired ID tech engine as alternative to Unreal engine
Only few big games such as Doom, Wolfenstein or RDR2 used Vulkan. But after MS acquired ID Software and Machine Games (both are part of Bethesda) all future Doom, Quake or Wolfenstein will use DX12 instead Vulkan. MS will want promote own API in own games.
This is problem for Vulkan because ID Software was always big player in OpenGL / Vulkan world. Now future version of ID Tech engine will promote DX12 Ultimate
No need to use DX12 now, async compute also works better under VK.
Except most engines aren’t VK.
And MS acquired ID Tech engine with ID Software (Bethesda). Future versions of ID Tech will use DirectX 12 Ultimate instead of Vulkan just like all MS owned games.
The number of games supporting Vulkan will reduce further now following the Bethesda acquisition
I think that MS will put a lot of money into ID Tech engine. They need good game engine for PC and Xbox after Epic start partnership with Sony on Unreal Engine 5.
Epic still don’t show single presentation from UE5 on PC or Xbox. There are some sad information about exclusive options inside this engine created only for PS5. Future of Unreal Engine 5 on PC and Xbox is unclear. MS need own game engine fast.
MS need invest a lot of money into ID Sofware, build best possible game engine and release it for free. Just like they done with Havok. MS need good free DX12 Ultimate engine to push PC and Xbox forward
Yes, Id Software has always been a major voice for Vulkan support.
No idication they’d replace a perfectly good API.
Are you really think that MS will use Vulkan in own game engine instead of DirectX? No, they wont.
There will be some interesting discussion going on at Bethesda. I hope they enforce that Bethesda produces a new game engine for their RPGs :p
Microsoft isn’t enforcing any APIs AFAIK. They’ll boast of incredible DX12 implementations like Gears or Forza sure, but they’re not enforcing it.
They not enforcing any API on third party developers, but ALL first party developers use DX12 since 2016. ID Software is now first party MS developer, very experienced and important developer, it will be in first row to promote DX12 with all most advanced features
The best api vulkan
If only more devs would use this API!
Here’s hoping Vulkan will become more widely used in the upcoming games.