WYP
News Guru
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Deck13 confirms that The Surge 2 will run using the Vulkan API on PC
- Thread starter WYP
- Start date
NeverBackDown
AMD Enthusiast
Never played the first one but just happy we are getting more modern APIs in games. A step in the right direction.
Though it is interesting to see them use DX12 and Vulkan. You'd think that would complicate and increase Development costs. Using only DX12 for Xbox rather than Xbox/PC and then using Vulkan for PS4.
But more I think about it it's probably no different than normal. Using DX11 and 12 for PC/Xbox and then whatever PlayStation uses.
Though it is interesting to see them use DX12 and Vulkan. You'd think that would complicate and increase Development costs. Using only DX12 for Xbox rather than Xbox/PC and then using Vulkan for PS4.
But more I think about it it's probably no different than normal. Using DX11 and 12 for PC/Xbox and then whatever PlayStation uses.
WYP
News Guru
DX12 on Xbox One and PC are very different. With Xbox, you can go into a different level of low-level hardware optimisation. Xbox One DX12 optimisations don't necessarily transfer to PC that well.
As far as Xbox One and PS4 go, devs need to use the APIs that are made for the console and go as in-depth as they like. PC will always need a broader approach, given the vast variation in hardware.
NeverBackDown
AMD Enthusiast
I know they are different, but having not looked at the documentation for the API, I would presume MS has tools that allow for cross-development to be less of a burden on developers and allow them to use very similar code across each platform, differing mostly in optimizations and specific platform requirements. So to make it Vulkan on PC and DX12 on xbox is strange. Whereas the more logical approach would be DX12 on both, and using Vulkan on PS4 if allowed and/or supported with an extended sublibrary to add Vulkan functionality to the ps4 framework SDK. If not then using the normal SDK.
Just seems like a lot of specific platform code for the same thing. They could simplify it with DX12 on 2 platforms with Sony being the odd one out. I mean it's their choice and if they feel their decisions give them the best oppurtunity to make their game and have solid performance on each platform, then so be it.
WYP
News Guru
Yes, there is a lot of cross-development potential, but a lot of stuff will still need to be done from scratch on PC. Remember that the PS4 predates Vulkan and uses its own API and development tools.
The thing about Vulkan is that it also works on Windows 7 and newer OS' and simplifies the development of ports to Linux. Factors like that matter. Depending on the experience of developers there may also be a preference for either DirectX 12 or Vulkan.
NeverBackDown
AMD Enthusiast
It's just a lot of extra work to me. Vulkan could still run on PS4. It's just if Sony allows it, I only mentioned it as an extra case for the reasoning behind the choice to do Vulkan at all. Since they 99% won't it makes little sense to invest into so many different variations.
To me, it makes the most sense to do DX12 on Xbox/PC with PS4 using its own whatever they call it. Only because they made no mention of Linux/Mac OS. If they plan on that then Vulkan is obviously the really one and only choice. In which case they way they are going about it would all make sense.
Now if it was a PC only platform then relying totally on Vulkan by itself I would 100% be onboard with that.
Though if you think about it, next gen consoles are going to have serious CPU grunt. Moreso than today's PCs with the amount of control Devs can have over their resources. This same scenario here, using multiple different SDK's/API's for each platform is going to be commonplace as more and more PC only titles are potentially going to console as well. Say for example Starcraft, Total War, Civ series, etc. They could all benefit from going to multiplatform, which means games are going to get even more complicated than currently are.
To me, it makes the most sense to do DX12 on Xbox/PC with PS4 using its own whatever they call it. Only because they made no mention of Linux/Mac OS. If they plan on that then Vulkan is obviously the really one and only choice. In which case they way they are going about it would all make sense.
Now if it was a PC only platform then relying totally on Vulkan by itself I would 100% be onboard with that.
Though if you think about it, next gen consoles are going to have serious CPU grunt. Moreso than today's PCs with the amount of control Devs can have over their resources. This same scenario here, using multiple different SDK's/API's for each platform is going to be commonplace as more and more PC only titles are potentially going to console as well. Say for example Starcraft, Total War, Civ series, etc. They could all benefit from going to multiplatform, which means games are going to get even more complicated than currently are.
NeverBackDown
AMD Enthusiast
Not doing any such thing. I am merely commenting on the intriguing choice the Devs made on API's. Also kinda hard to say anything about either one when I doubt you have worked with both, let alone read the documentation for both. Not saying you are wrong, but I doubt many people outside the industry have actually used either, and therefore there remains limited opinion on either with extensive in-depth explanations as to the reason that particular developer has that opinion.
