If you are reading this, that means you are looking for information about Vulkan Runtime Libraries. This article includes all the necessary details about VulkanRT Libraries that you need to know.
Table of Contents
What is VulkanRT?
First of all, the question that comes to our mind is, what are the Vulkan Runtime Libraries?. Well, it is a graphics API that is also known as VulkanRT. If you are a frequent game player, then you must have come across DirectX or OpenGL.
VulkanRT Libraries are cross-platform graphics API that helps to improve the performance of games and provide fair usage of GPU and CPU. Even though not all video games use this library, but new games use this driver module. It lowers the troubles of game developers to maximize the performance of the video games by reducing the GPU usage. Well, known games like Dota 2 and Rise of the Tomb Raider use VulkanRT library to minimize the use of GPU.
Why GPU Manufactures Require VulkanRT?
It is so popular now that many GPU manufacturers have a requirement of this library to be installed on systems to play games.
- Efficient multi-threading allows for smooth game performance
- Lower overhead ensures minimal GPU usage
- A simpler graphics driver
- Better control over the graphics hardware
- Open and modern architecture
- Cross-platform with support for Windows, Linux, and Android
- Supports iOS and Mac OS through third-party solutions
List of Games That Uses VulkanRT Libraries
These are the games that use this library:
| Title | Release Date | Vulkan support since |
|---|---|---|
| Apocalypse: The Game | November 1, 2017 | TBA |
| Breaking Point | TBA | TBA |
| DCS World | October 17, 2008 | TBA |
| Doom Eternal | TBA | TBA |
| Escape From Tarkov | TBA | TBA |
| ESSENCE | April 18, 2017 | TBA |
| GRID Autosport | June 24, 2014 | TBA |
| Quake Champions | TBA | TBA |
| Star Citizen | TBA | TBA |
| War Thunder | December 21, 2016 | TBA |
| X4: Foundations | November 30, 2018 | November 30, 2018 |
| Aerofly FS 2 | November 20, 2017 | June 6, 2018 |
| Artefact | November 28, 2018 | November 28, 2018 |
| Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia | May 3, 2018 | June 7, 2018 |
| Astral Crown | August 15, 2017 | May 24, 2018 |
| Rise of the Tomb Raider | April 19, 2018 | April 19, 2018 |
| nGlide compatible games[90] | November 7, 2009 | December 14, 2017 |
| F1 2017 | November 2, 2017 | November 2, 2017 |
| Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus | October 27, 2017 | October 27, 2017 |
| Ashes of the Singularity | March 31, 2016 | August 31, 2017 |
| Doom3 BFG | October 2012 | August 12, 2017 |
| X Rebirth VR Edition | July 27, 2017 | July 27, 2017 |
| Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III | June 8, 2017 | June 8, 2017 |
| Geocore | TBA | June 1, 2017 |
| Quake III Arena | December 2, 1999 | May 30, 2017 |
| Galaxy on Fire 3 – Manticore | December 8, 2016 | May 18, 2017 |
| Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope | September 20, 2017 | May 17, 2017 |
| Ballistic Overkill | March 28, 2017 | May 16, 2017 |
| Mad Max | October 20, 2016 | March 30, 2017 |
| Serious Sam Fusion 2017 | 2017 | March 21, 2017 |
| Roblox | 2006 | March 15, 2017 |
| Serious Sam VR: The First Encounter | March 30, 2017 | February 8, 2017 |
| Serious Sam VR: The Second Encounter | April 4, 2017 | February 8, 2017 |
| Dream League Soccer | February 26, 2016 | October 14, 2016 |
| Score! Hero | August 6, 2015 | September 16, 2016 |
| Heroes of Incredible Tales | November 18, 2015 | August 20, 2016 |
| Need for Speed: No Limits | September 30, 2015 | August 20, 2016 |
| Olympus Rising | May 3, 2016 | August 20, 2016 |
| Vainglory | November 16, 2014 | August 20, 2016 |
| Quake | June 22, 1996 | July 20, 2016 |
| Doom | May 13, 2016 | July 11, 2016[ |
| Dota 2 | July 9, 2013 | May 23, 2016 |
| The Talos Principle | September 11, 2014 | February 17, 2016 |
Who Developed Vulkan Runtime Libraries?
The VulkanRT is an initiative of The Khronos Group who developed it back in 2014. Vulkan Runtime library was officially announced at Game Developer’s Conference in 2015.
Why is Vulkan Runtime Installed on My PC?
Vulkan RT comes bundled with NVIDIA and AMD Graphics Card drivers, and if you notice it be on your PC, you probably have updated drivers. If we upgrade the graphics card or update the drivers of the previous graphics card, it is installed on our PC because it comes bundled along with core-drivers of GPU.
If you have not upgraded the graphics card or updated the drivers or previous one and still have Vulkan RT. There is a possibility that you might have installed a new game on your PC, and it also comes as a bundled library in a few games as I listed above.
Few games require Vulkan Runtime library, and when you install those games, it is automatically installed on your system.
Should You Keep or Remove VulkanRT?
As I mentioned above, Vulkan comes bundled with games, software, or drivers and is necessary for those applications to run. So, if you’re concerned about it showing up out of nowhere, you can rest assured that it is not a harmful program.
Vulkan is a necessary software for 3D apps like games and graphics renderers. If you have not installed it manually, then you shouldn’t remove it because then it is installed as bundles library with some game or software you install. If it still wants to remove it, then there could be issues when you run a particular set of software that requires it. It is also a possibility that those apps (games or 3d rendering software) software may not even open.
If you remove this library, you may face the following problems:
- Unable to set the desired screen resolution
- Poor HD video rendering
- Overhead GPU causing crashes and glitches
- Unable to play newer games
If you have third-party antivirus software installed on your system and it says VulkanRT looks suspicious, you can ignore this warning.
