Re:Vulkan Tutorial
by pcwalton on Tuesday July 19, 2016 @01:01PM
(#12122967)
> Like another user has commented, the PS4 low level API is like Assembly in terms of hardware control, whereas the higher level, is is similar to Vulkan in API surface, is a bit more like C in terms of control.
And as I've argued here, that isn't a plus. I don't believe that game developers are producing better GPU assembly than an optimizing backend can.
> Another area where the PS4 APIs are better is infrastructure, meaning graphical debuggers, libraries and OS integration.
That isn't part of the API. That's part of the tooling.
> Also the amount of production code experience that both Sony and licensed developers have with the whole stack.
That isn't part of the API either.
> So why would Sony throw all this away, just to make some Reddit and HN users happy, that wouldn't anyway make games for the PS4?
Er, nobody is talking about "throwing all of this away". I'm simply questioning your claim that Vulkan is worse than what Sony created for the PS4.
And as I've argued here, that isn't a plus. I don't believe that game developers are producing better GPU assembly than an optimizing backend can.
> Another area where the PS4 APIs are better is infrastructure, meaning graphical debuggers, libraries and OS integration.
That isn't part of the API. That's part of the tooling.
> Also the amount of production code experience that both Sony and licensed developers have with the whole stack.
That isn't part of the API either.
> So why would Sony throw all this away, just to make some Reddit and HN users happy, that wouldn't anyway make games for the PS4?
Er, nobody is talking about "throwing all of this away". I'm simply questioning your claim that Vulkan is worse than what Sony created for the PS4.