Imagination announces latest PowerVR Graphics SDK including full support for new Vulkan API

Developers can get started immediately with powerful API on PowerVR based platforms

GAME DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE, San Francisco, Calif. – 15^th March, 2016 – Imagination Technologies (IMG.L) announces the latest version of its PowerVR Graphics SDK (Software Development Kit), designed to support all aspects of graphics and GPU compute application development. The PowerVR Graphics SDK v4.1 features a host of new functionality, examples and documentation, including full support for the new Vulkan™ 1.0 open standard API (Application Programming Interface) from Khronos. Vulkan provides high-efficiency, cross-platform access to graphics and compute on modern GPUs used in a wide variety of devices from PCs and consoles to mobile phones and embedded platforms.

Says Imagination’s Graham Deacon, senior director, PowerVR Business Operations: “Imagination was a major contributor to the Vulkan API, and was among the first to demonstrate it on mobile platforms. Now that the specification is released, we feel that it is important to get it into the hands of developers as soon as possible. With this new SDK, they have a powerful tool for game and application development on PowerVR based platforms, which include some of the world’s most popular smartphones, tablets, OTT set-top boxes and other consumer products.”

The PowerVR Framework, a cross-platform and cross-API framework that acts as a scaffold around which developers can build their own rendering or game engine, now features a fully functioning Vulkan backend. This lightweight abstraction layer provides utility functions that enable explicit control of Vulkan while reducing the amount of code required to render a scene. It features functions for common tasks such as object creation and asset uploading, simplified object lifetime management, and cross-platform setup. It also includes Imagination’s Gnome Horde demo, included as an example to show multi-threaded command buffer management for Vulkan.

The entire PowerVR Graphics SDK is now distributed freely under an MIT license. The SDK for Vulkan offers cross-platform support for multiple GPU architectures (PowerVR and desktop GPUs) as well as multiple operating systems (Android, Windows and Linux).

Together with the PowerVR Graphics SDK, Imagination offers a complete set of advanced tools for graphics developers. The latest release includes several new features and enhancements. PVRShaderEditor now supports the ability to choose different compilers per shader, and PVRGeoPOD supports 3DSMax 2016 SP2. PVRTrace now includes a full ‘Call Hierarchy’ which will show all a call’s dependencies at a point in time, and also now enables viewing of buffer object data. Finally, PVRTune now includes new counters for ‘ISP pixel load’ and ‘Overdraw.’

Developers can join the PowerVR Insider community and interact through developer forums at http://community.imgtec.com/developers/powervr; and can download the tools and SDK for free at https://community.imgtec.com/developers/powervr/installers. Additional resources are available on Imagination’s Vulkan page at www.imgtec.com/vulkan.

All PowerVR Rogue GPUs are capable of supporting Vulkan.

About PowerVR GPUs
Imagination’s PowerVR graphics processors (GPUs) are the de facto standard for mobile and embedded graphics and GPU compute. The PowerVR GPU family leads the market in technological capability, roadmap breadth and ecosystem, and is by far the most adopted and shipped technology of its kind. PowerVR graphics IP comprises a comprehensive portfolio of the industry’s leading GPUs, supporting a broad range of applications. See: http://www.imgtec.com/powervr/graphics.asp.

About Imagination Technologies
Imagination is a global technology leader whose products touch the lives of billions of people across the globe. The company’s broad range of silicon IP (intellectual property) includes the key processing blocks needed to create the SoCs (Systems on Chips) that power all mobile, consumer and embedded electronics. Its unique software IP, infrastructure technologies and system solutions enable its customers to get to market quickly with complete and highly differentiated SoC platforms. Imagination’s licensees include many of the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturers, network operators and OEMs/ODMs who are creating some of the world’s most iconic products. See: www.imgtec.com.