DOOM for PC now supports Vulkan API

The PC version of DOOM is receiving support for the graphics API known as Vulkan. If you’re using an older graphic card, support for this API should give the game a boost, ultimately making the experience better for the player. This is great news for gamers, but not so much for Microsoft seeing as a major developer, id Software, is putting more effort behind Vulkan instead of DirectX 12.

Not only should the Vulkan update give players an improved experience, but DOOM itself should be smoother with better frames per second among other things.

Here’s what id Software and Bethesda have to say about this major shift via a blog:

“When we were looking to adopt Vulkan for DOOM, the main question we asked ourselves was: “What’s the gamer benefit?” Ultimately the biggest benefit will be high framerates. There are a number of game-focused reasons super-high framerates matter, but primarily its movement and player feel. The game just feels amazing running that fast, so we made it a priority to try to really exploit the available hardware on PC.”

DOOM is one of the many games that do not take full advantage of DirectX 12, but instead push forward with Vulkan as its main graphics API. Microsoft will have to contend with this reality in the months and years to come as the Khronos Group, the folks behind Vulkan, will want to convert most game developers to the platform.

It should be noted that Vulkan supports Windows, OS X, Android, and many Linux-based operating systems. Even folks running Windows XP can expect to play games with Vulkan support. DirectX 12 on the other hand, is designed to support Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile. We do expect Microsoft to support other platforms in the future due to company’s mindset when it comes to its multiplatform strategy.

Still, the software giant can rest easy seeing as DirectX 12 is being adopted faster than any other version, so that’s a good sign. Furthermore, the Oculus Rift SDK has been updated with DirectX 12 support, so expect some great looking VR games in the future.

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