Raspberry Pi 4 expands 3D potential with Vulkan update
Raspberry Pi 4 expands 3D potential with Vulkan update
Enlarge / Real Racing running on a Raspberry Pi 4 powered by Vulkan.
Raspberry pie
The Raspberry Pi 4 took a major graphics step, adding support for a more modern Vulkan 3D API. While this doesn't mean a smooth Doom(2016) experience on the single-map wonder, it does help Pis run Android and point to some future powers.
Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton announced Vulkan 1.2 compliance for the Pi 4 on Monday. Support is not yet available in downloadable Pi compatible operating systems, but should be coming soon.
For most people who use their Pi as a server, DIY controller, or lightweight desktop, Vulkan 1.2 compliance won't be noticeable. Desktop graphics on the standard Raspberry Pi operating system are powered by OpenGL, the older graphics API that Vulkan is meant to replace. There's one group that benefits, Upton says: Android 3D games and other apps. Android uses Vulkan as a low-overhead graphics API.
As with most Raspberry Pi advancements, unforeseen opportunities could be unleashed by this seemingly small change. Vulkan 1.2 support gives developers the same 3D graphics interface (if not the same power) as 2019 NVIDIA graphics cards, 2020 Intel chips with integrated graphics, and dozens of other devices. With a Vulkan 1.0 driver installed, developer Iago Toral was able in 2020 to run the original Quake trilogy mostly on a Pi 4, with frame rates not too shabby .
Pushing a modern Vulkan pilot forward for the Pi 4 has special meaning for Pi CEO Upton. Prior to working on Raspberry Pi, Upton was part of the Broadcom team that designed the VideoCore 3d GPU chip, the same mounted on every Raspberry Pi board. Upton also represented Broadcom from 2007 to 2012 at Khronos, the standards body graphics APIs that oversaw standards like OpenGL. OpenGL was already showing its age in Upton's day, and it was part of the initial effort to launch its successor, Vulkan.
If you're willing to tinker with Vulkan 1.2 support on a Pi before the drivers arrive in stable releases, you'll need, according to Liz Upton, Pi's Head of Marketing and Communications, " a fresh install of Mesa from GitHub, and then you'll have to squeal. You'll also need a Raspberry Pi 4 itself, the purchase of which may be another glaring ordeal at the moment.
Enlarge / Real Racing running on a Raspberry Pi 4 powered by Vulkan.
Raspberry pie
The Raspberry Pi 4 took a major graphics step, adding support for a more modern Vulkan 3D API. While this doesn't mean a smooth Doom(2016) experience on the single-map wonder, it does help Pis run Android and point to some future powers.
Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton announced Vulkan 1.2 compliance for the Pi 4 on Monday. Support is not yet available in downloadable Pi compatible operating systems, but should be coming soon.
For most people who use their Pi as a server, DIY controller, or lightweight desktop, Vulkan 1.2 compliance won't be noticeable. Desktop graphics on the standard Raspberry Pi operating system are powered by OpenGL, the older graphics API that Vulkan is meant to replace. There's one group that benefits, Upton says: Android 3D games and other apps. Android uses Vulkan as a low-overhead graphics API.
As with most Raspberry Pi advancements, unforeseen opportunities could be unleashed by this seemingly small change. Vulkan 1.2 support gives developers the same 3D graphics interface (if not the same power) as 2019 NVIDIA graphics cards, 2020 Intel chips with integrated graphics, and dozens of other devices. With a Vulkan 1.0 driver installed, developer Iago Toral was able in 2020 to run the original Quake trilogy mostly on a Pi 4, with frame rates not too shabby .
Pushing a modern Vulkan pilot forward for the Pi 4 has special meaning for Pi CEO Upton. Prior to working on Raspberry Pi, Upton was part of the Broadcom team that designed the VideoCore 3d GPU chip, the same mounted on every Raspberry Pi board. Upton also represented Broadcom from 2007 to 2012 at Khronos, the standards body graphics APIs that oversaw standards like OpenGL. OpenGL was already showing its age in Upton's day, and it was part of the initial effort to launch its successor, Vulkan.
If you're willing to tinker with Vulkan 1.2 support on a Pi before the drivers arrive in stable releases, you'll need, according to Liz Upton, Pi's Head of Marketing and Communications, " a fresh install of Mesa from GitHub, and then you'll have to squeal. You'll also need a Raspberry Pi 4 itself, the purchase of which may be another glaring ordeal at the moment.
Enlarge / Real Racing running on a Raspberry Pi 4 powered by Vulkan.
Raspberry pie
