Why Does This Game use OpenGL?

[Worstluck]

I don't think I've seen this talked about, and a cursory Google search did not yield the answer I was looking for.

Why did Hello Games decide to use OpenGL API? I find this a very odd choice, considering almost all Windows games use the Direct3D API. I am not a programmer; I've work along side many, but it's just not my thing, so I don't really understand the advantages HG would have gained from using OpenGL. As far as I can tell, their choice to use this API caused a lot of issues when the game came out, as no one knew the game uses that API, so quite a few video cards just couldn't run it.

The game was not released for Mac or Linux. The PS4 does not support it as far as I know (the PS3 had support for it), and we know the XBOX does not support it. Their previous games were Direct3D (I think?). I am curious, as I am trying to understand where/how/when things went wrong for this game.

[Yuusharo]

引用自 davevill：

引用自 Jamielinux：

So you use the best API for the platfarm, Windows = DirectX, Mac/Linux = OpenGL, Consoles = Direct to metal in most cases.

Consoles don't have "direct to metal" solutions. PS4 uses PSGL, an OpenGL ES varient with a DirectX 11.1+ feature set, while Xbox and Windows use DirectX 11.2/12.

In arguing your own point, you contradict yourself by stating that Valve managed to increase performance on their OpenGL games, stating that the API itself is not the issue.

[JamieLinux]

引用自 davevill：

引用自 Jamielinux：

Not 100 percent accurate, it comes down to what the devs can do with the api, most game engines support open gl and direct x, direct x is just a api. All direct x does is take draw calls input sound from the game and interfaces it with the hardware. Honestly the software could care less what api it has to interface with so long as it can exicute what its being told and understand the response.

There was a time not to long ago when Direct X was just a kanged copy of OpenGl and was really really bad.

Two reasons to use Direct X on windows one kickbacks to lock it to windows and no competing system, second some devs never have used opengl.

I completely agree with you... but this isn't a perfect world, many GPU hardware features are designed with Microsoft cooperation, eventually they get implemented in OpenGL. This is were the problem relies in Windows, the current OpenGL implementation on windows is crap. There's the famous Valve performance increase, however they admit the drivers are the issue not the API itself, that's why they have improved OpenGL on linux immensely.

So you use the best API for the platfarm, Windows = DirectX, Mac/Linux = OpenGL, Consoles = Direct to metal in most cases.

Most of that has to do that windows for the longest time dropped open gl support to push and force manufactures into using direct x. WIndows now does not even ship with OpenGL its up to Nvidia Ati and Intel to support it from the driver as the os does not have any support library system for it.

Actually you have that in reverse, features usually come out to open gl first then ms gets them put into direct x, most of windows features and direct x has been ripped out of linux and open gl for decades..

That is a topic for another time and not in this fourm.

[davevillz]

引用自 Yuusharo：

引用自 davevill：

Consoles don't have "direct to metal" solutions. PS4 uses PSGL, an OpenGL ES varient with a DirectX 11.1+ feature set, while Xbox and Windows use DirectX 11.2/12.

In arguing your own point, you contradict yourself by stating that Valve managed to increase performance on their OpenGL games, stating that the API itself is not the issue.

My point is that you use the best API for the platform, read my first comment. The API matters when DirectX works best on windows

PS4 and XBox do have direct to metal, actually PSGL and DirectX are completely optional, please do your research...

[JamieLinux]

引用自 davevill：

引用自 Yuusharo：

My point is that you use the best API for the platform, read my first comment. The API matters when DirectX works best on windows

PS4 and XBox do have direct to metal, actually PSGL and DirectX are completely optional, please do your research...

Not everything can be done direct to hardware and not everything done directly in hardware is the best way to do it, sometimes letting the api handle it is the best way.

[Yuusharo]

引用自 davevill：

My point is that you use the best API for the platform, read my first comment. The API matters when DirectX works best on windows

PS4 and XBox do have direct to metal, actually PSGL and Xbox are completely optional, please do your research...

But again, you contradicted yourself by admitting that OpenGL itself is not the problem. Yes, DirectX has better support on Windows because it's basically all you have on Windows. OpenGL is supported by the hardware manufacturer of your hardware.

That, again, does not mean one is fundementally 'better' than the other, nor does using one over the other give you better or worse performance. NMS performs poorly on Windows because it's a bad PS4 port, not because it uses OpenGL 4.5.

[davevillz]

引用自 Jamielinux：

引用自 davevill：

I completely agree with you... but this isn't a perfect world, many GPU hardware features are designed with Microsoft cooperation, eventually they get implemented in OpenGL. This is were the problem relies in Windows, the current OpenGL implementation on windows is crap. There's the famous Valve performance increase, however they admit the drivers are the issue not the API itself, that's why they have improved OpenGL on linux immensely.

So you use the best API for the platfarm, Windows = DirectX, Mac/Linux = OpenGL, Consoles = Direct to metal in most cases.

Most of that has to do that windows for the longest time dropped open gl support to push and force manufactures into using direct x. WIndows now does not even ship with OpenGL its up to Nvidia Ati and Intel to support it from the driver as the os does not have any support library system for it.

Actually you have that in reverse, features usually come out to open gl first then ms gets them put into direct x, most of windows features and direct x has been ripped out of linux and open gl for decades..

That is a topic for another time and not in this fourm.

Nope, this is only truth for the ancient era of GPU's. Since DIrectx8 and modern GPUs opengl have always trying to catch up.

[JamieLinux]

引用自 davevill：

引用自 Jamielinux：

Most of that has to do that windows for the longest time dropped open gl support to push and force manufactures into using direct x. WIndows now does not even ship with OpenGL its up to Nvidia Ati and Intel to support it from the driver as the os does not have any support library system for it.

Actually you have that in reverse, features usually come out to open gl first then ms gets them put into direct x, most of windows features and direct x has been ripped out of linux and open gl for decades..

That is a topic for another time and not in this fourm.

Nope, this is only truth for the ancient era of GPU's. Since DIrectx8 and modern GPUs opengl have always trying to catch up.

http://blog.wolfire.com/2010/01/Why-you-should-use-OpenGL-and-not-DirectX

Ill leave this here and troll with facts why that comment is not true .