The Khronos Group has officially released version 1.1 of the Vulkan API, and the new release brings some key new features in the form of subgroup support in programming and support for multi-GPU configurations, among other new features, and the group has also opened up a dedicated support forum for Vulkan developers. The new API’s feature updates also include a new way of handling shaders, and the mainline implementation of many popular user-created extensions made for Vulkan 1.0. This release coincides with the release of SPIR-V 1.3, the newest version of a Vulkan-compatible, open-source shader and lighting tool for 3D creations. The Vulkan open-source codebase has already been updated with all of the code needed for developers to begin working on projects in Vulkan 1.1, or even porting their Vulkan 1.0 projects with ease.
Vulkan 1.1, on top of the new features, brings a number of optimizations to the codebase. The API itself is more streamlined and easier to use, which means that code and assets crafted for it can be leaner and cleaner. Support for SPIR-V 1.3 and the SPIRV-Tools project is on board natively, and will work out of the box in all Vulkan 1.1-compliant SDKs. The new support forum is called the Vulkan Ecosystem Forum, and on top of being a haven for troubled developers looking for help with their Vulkan projects, it will also be a place for collaboration, both among developers, and between developers and the Vulkan team.
Vulkan 1.1 is being pushed out as of this writing to all platforms and engines that support it natively. Android developers should have no problem using Vulkan 1.1 in any app they make, and users on any device that supports Vulkan 1.0 will be able to use those apps with their full feature sets intact. For cross-platform or more specific development, a number of popular engines like Unity and Valve’s Source Engine have already been updated with support for Vulkan 1.1. Since Vulkan is open-source, any developer or group can work on compiling it in other forms to allow for a wider variety of uses. Those who want the most cutting-edge Vulkan features and highest ecosystem compatibility, meanwhile, will be happy to know that the popular LunarG SDK already has Vulkan 1.1 built in as of the newest release.