Difference Between OpenGL vs Vulkan
The following article provides an outline for OpenGL vs Vulkan. OpenGL is a cross-platform API where API refers as application programming interface and focus on rendering of 2D as well as 3D vector graphics with effective result. For accelerated hardware rendering it interact with graphics processing unit (GPU). The plus point about this is it an open source and free API. Vulkan is also cross platform software which works as 3d graphics as well as computing software not only this but it also deals with programming of video games and multimedia elements. Both software has also most same work even though they are different from each other. Today in this article we will find out what are those things which make this two software different from each other although their developer is same.
Head to Head Comparison Between OpenGL vs Vulkan (Infographics)
Below are the top 6 differences between OpenGL vs Vulkan:
Key Difference Between OpenGL vs Vulkan
Let us discuss some of the major key differences between OpenGL vs Vulkan:
- Both OpenGL and Vulkan are open source cross platform API that means both are free for using them with lot of good features and you need not to worry about any subscription and plans for having anyone of them for your use. Both API developed by same developer and Vulkan introduce in 2015 as non-profitable API by Khronos group at GDC and it is initially refer as ‘next generation OpenGL initiative’ or OpenGL next’ but later on it changed to Vulkan.
- Vulkan provides numbers of advantages because it offers powerful direct control over the GPU, lower the usage of CPU as well as lower overhead pressure on it. In short its overall concept and features are similar to Mantle which was also adopted by Direct3D 12 of Microsoft Windows and Metal of Apple. OpenGL generate commands buffers for multiple threads and simultaneous processing for the same to a command pipeline and due to this reason developer need not to work for maintenance of framework or if it want to do then it can do by little effort.
- OpenGL creates its own Complier for GLSL which is high level language of it and this language writes shaders which forces OpenGL driver for implementing its own complier for this language and execute application runtime for translating the program’s shaders into the GPU’s machine code. Whereas Vulkan has shaders which already translated into intermediate binary format and it is called SPIR-V (standard portable intermediate representation).
- With Vulkan you have better tools integration in comparison with OpenGL because you can enable validation and diagnostics of layers independently. Because of no hard API difference between mobile and PC versions of both software, porting of games between these cross platform is ease.
- In future new extensions will added in OpenGL which is same to Vulkan and this extension is NV_command_list which is same as ‘GPU feeding paradigm’ of Vulkan and it will enhance game ability of OpenGL. As Vulkan introduced as next generation of API of OpenGL so you will have more feature as well as improved techniques for doing different type of task related to its field for having best result in your project work. So you can explore Vulkan functions over OpenGL easily.
OpenGL vs Vulkan Comparison Table
Let’s discuss the top comparison between OpenGL vs Vulkan:
| OpenGL | Vulkan | |
| Definition | It is an open source and cross platform API which works for rendering of 2D and 3D vector graphics. | It is that cross platform API which works for programming of video games as well as for 3D graphics for achieving number of good results in related task. |
| Developer | Silicon Graphics Inc. started development of this API in 1991 and released it on June 30, 1992 but its developer was Khronos group which was formerly known as ARB. | Developer of this API was AMD, DICE and Khronos group and initially released it in February 2016. |
| Operating System | You can run this API with Linux, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS operating systems and for other related information of operating system you can visit on official website of OpenGL. | Vulkan can run on different operating systems that are Linux, Android, Unix, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo, BSD, Mac OS, iOS and many others operating system are there with which it is compatible. |
| Latest Version | On July 31, 2017 its latest version was released and named as 4.6 with lots of good features and improvement in drag bag of previous versions. | Its latest version was released on 1 March 2021 with number of updates which makes its working smoother and it was 1.2.171. |
| Availability | You can start working with OpenGL and have it by visiting on its official website which is www.opengl.org. You can also have other important information from this website related with this API. | You can go on www.khronos.org/vulkan for downloading it and also for having other information such as basic requirement, necessities and so on. |
| Supported Language | C or C++ is computer languages in which OpenGL is written and makes it easy to handle. | C is the basic language of this software that means it is written in this computer language. |
The points which we seen above are most important points because it gives basic requirement, capability, needs as well as working ability of both software and helps us for taking decision about which one will be good for us.
Conclusion
OpenGL and Vulkan are familiar word for you and you can easily understand them for exploring your idea in field related to this software. Will suggest you if you start working in this field with these API then you must try both of them one by one so that you can find pros and cons of these software itself.
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This is a guide to OpenGL vs Vulkan. Here we discuss OpenGL vs Vulkan key differences with infographics and comparison table respectively. You may also have a look at the following articles to learn more –
