Vulkan SDK / Runtime

Vulkan SDK provides developers with the tools they need to design applications that rely on the Khronos Vulkan API. This next generation 3D graphics API is cross-platform, providing support and SDK installations for all the major platforms.

The SDK allows developers to take advantage of the power of the modern GPUs no matter the host device: PCs, consoles or portable devices. In other words, developers can use the same graphics API to target all the major mobile and desktop platforms.

A specific API header is the backbone of the Vulkan SDK, which is reflected by its version. The package comes with various development components, header files, libraries, JSON files and runtime components. Along with sample layers, source code files, and Visual Studio projects, they are all working together to allow developers to create and run Vulkan-based applications and Vulkan Layers.

The Vulkan Layers included in the SDK target API validation and error checking, synchronization, command capturing, printing API calls, device simulations, FPS rate reporting, and more. The Vulkan Configurator is the application that allows users to manage Vulkan Layers globally, overwriting the configuration given by a Vulkan application.

The SDK also features debugging capabilities and, as mentioned above, comes with Visual Studio project that allows you to build demo applications easily.

The Vulkan tools provides developers with the means to program their modern GPU hardware devices to be cross-platform. The Vulkan API is what lies at its heart, but the SDK and the runtime are valuable tools for developers who want to benefit from what Vulkan has to offer.