Vulkan SDK 1.3.296.0 Release Notes
Version 1.3.296.0 for Windows
October 8, 2024
This SDK supports Vulkan API revision 1.3.296.
Overview of new features in SDK 1.3.296.0
- Slang (https://github.com/shader-slang/slang), an alternative shader language and compiler, has been included. It is currently in Beta status. See the slang user guide for details on usage.
- Updates to the Windows on ARM SDK.
- Windows ARM SDK no longer considered "Beta"
- DXC (Microsoft DirectX Shader Compiler has been added to the Windows on ARM SDK
- Visual Studio 2022 templates added to Windows ARM SDK
- Windows 11 is now officially supported, since CI has been enabled across many of the SDK repositories.
- The /Demos folder has been removed from the SDK.
- Synchronization validation for the VK_KHR_timeline_semaphore extension has been implemented and included in the SDK!
- The command line installer has a new option "copy_only=1" which copies SDK files, but makes no registry changes and does not require administrative permissions to run.
- The Vulkan headers now include the following new extensions. Note that extensions are optional and may not be implemented by the underlying driver/ICD. Applications can now query for the presence of these new features.
- VK_EXT_depth_clamp_control
- VK_EXT_device_generated_commands
- VK_KHR_compute_shader_derivatives
- VK_KHR_pipeline_binary
- VK_NV_command_buffer_inheritance
- VK_AMD_anti_lag
- The Vulkan Configurator (vkconfig) has been updated to improve quality and stability. See the fixes included in this SDK here. See the Vulkan Configurator documentation for more information.
- Improved validation coverage. VUID validation coverage documentation (validation_error_database.csv and validation_error_database.html) has been updated to represent the validation layer VUID coverage status.
Drivers: It is recommended you update Vulkan-capable hardware drivers to the latest recommended version from the hardware vendor. A list of Known Issues appears at the end of this document with more information.
Vulkan Loader: The Windows SDK does not currently update the Vulkan Loader on your system. Instead you should be getting the Vulkan Loader from your graphics hardware provider driver package. There is an optional Vulkan Runtime package available at vulkan.lunarg.com should you wish to force updating your system with a more recent Vulkan Loader. Starting in 2025, this behavior will change and the Vulkan Loader will be updated as part of the SDK installation.
Important Changes for the Vulkan Runtime Installer
- The Vulkan runtime installer has been modified with an option to not update the Windows registry. See this LunarXchange issue
- The vulkan runtime installer has been modified to avoid some situations where it was not able to update the DLLs. See this LunarXchange issue
- The first SDK in 2025 will automatically update the Vulkan Loader during a Windows SDK installation.
Platform Support Matrix
| Feature | Windows-x64/x86 | Windows-ARM | Linux tarball | Ubuntu Packages | macOS SDK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tools | |||||
| Vulkan Configurator | X | X | X | X | X |
| Vulkaninfo | X | X | X | X | X |
| VIA (Vulkan Installation Analyzer) | X | X | X | X | X |
| Vulkan Profiles API Library | X | X | X | X | X |
| VOLK (a meta-loader for Vulkan) | X | X | X | X | X |
| AMD Memory Allocator | X | X | X | X | X |
| Validation Layers | |||||
| Validation | X | X | X | X | X |
| Best Practices | X | X | X | X | X |
| GPU Assisted Validation | X | X | X | ||
| Debug Printf | X | X | X | ||
| Synchronization Validation | X | X | X | X | X |
| Utility Layers | |||||
| Crash Diagnostic Layer | X | X | X | X | |
| Profiles Layer | X | X | X | X | |
| API Dump | X | X | X | X | |
| Monitor | X | X | X | X | |
| Screenshot | X | X | X | X | |
| GFXReconstruct | X | X | X | ||
| Extension Layers | |||||
| Synchronization 2 | X | X | X | X | X |
| Shader Object | X | X | |||
| Shader Tools | |||||
| glslangValidator | X | X | X | X | X |
| SPIR-V Optimizer | X | X | X | X | X |
| SPIR-V Disassembler, Assembler, Validator | X | X | X | X | X |
| SPIR-V Remapper | X | X | X | X | X |
| SPIR-V Control Flow Visualization | X | X | X | X | X |
| SPIR-V Cross-Compilation and Reflection | X | X | X | X | X |
| shaderc | X | X | X | X | X |
| DXC (DirectX Shader Compiler) | X | X | X | X | |
| SPIRV-reflect | X | X | X | X | X |
| slang | X | X | X | X | X |
SDK Components
This version of the SDK is based on the following specifications, source code repositories, and commits:
- Vulkan Specification
- SPIR-V Specification (Version 1.6, Revision 4)
- GLSL Specification (Version 4.6)
- GitHub Repo: KhronosGroup/glslang, Version Tag: vulkan-sdk-1.3.296.0
- GitHub Repo: KhronosGroup/SPIRV-Cross Version Tag: vulkan-sdk-1.3.296.0
- Github Repo: SPIRV-Reflect Version Tag: vulkan-sdk-1.3.296.0
- Github Repo: shader-slang Version Tag: v2024.13
- GitHub Repo: KhronosGroup/SPIRV-Tools, Version Tag: vulkan-sdk-1.3.296.0
- GitHub Repo: KhronosGroup/Vulkan-Headers, Version Tag: vulkan-sdk-1.3.296.0
- GitHub Repo: KhronosGroup/Vulkan-Loader, Version Tag: vulkan-sdk-1.3.296.0
- GitHub Repo: KhronosGroup/Vulkan-Tools, Version Tag: vulkan-sdk-1.3.296.0
- GitHub Repo: KhronosGroup/Vulkan-ValidationLayers, Version Tag: vulkan-sdk-1.3.296.0
- GitHub Repo: KhronosGroup/Vulkan-Profiles, Version Tag: vulkan-sdk-1.3.296.0
- GitHub Repo: KhronosGroup/Vulkan-ExtensionLayer, Version Tag: vulkan-sdk-1.3.296.0
- GitHub Repo: KhronosGroup/Vulkan-Utility-Libraries, Version Tag: vulkan-sdk-1.3.296.0
- GitHub Repo: LunarG/gfxreconstruct, Version Tag: vulkan-sdk-1.3.296.0
- GitHub Repo: LunarG/VulkanTools, Version Tag: vulkan-sdk-1.3.296.6
- GitHub Repo: CrashDiagnosticLayer, Version Tag: vulkan-sdk-1.3.296.0
- GitHub Repo: volk, Version Tag: vulkan-sdk-1.3.296.0
- GitHub Repo: AMD Memory Allocator tag: v3.1.0
- GitHub Repo: microsoft/DirectXShaderCompiler commit: d9a5e97d04ac4284edd3c29b0ad2a6e860a6e1bb
- GitHub Repo: google/shaderc commit: 6d803fea480e6a71f795e55d63c8c985e3529b3d
- GitHub Repo: SaschaWillems/VulkanCapsViewer tag: 3.42
- GitHub Repo: sdl, Version Tag: release-2.30.7
- GitHub Repo: glm, Version Tag: 1.0.1
LunarG would like to thank all of the many contributors to all of the above repositories and the contributions they are making to the Vulkan Ecosystem.
Submitting Issues
If while using the tools and layers included in the SDK you find a defect in that tool or layer, the most expedient way to get a resolution is to submit to its corresponding repository. For example, if you believe you have found a defect in the Validation Layers, submit an issue at the repository for Validation Layers. The only exception to this is for the shader tool chain (glslang, SPIRV-Cross, SPIRV-Tools, shaderc). For these repositories you can submit issues against the SDK at vulkan.lunarg.com.
Known Issues
No Warning with Profiles Use: When using Vulkan Profiles requiring Profiles with the Vulkan Profiles layer, no warning is emitted when trying to override a device capability to a value that is not supported by the device.
Vulkan Configurator known issues are documented in the Vulkan Configurator Change Log