How you do enable vulkan? here's how!

It can be enabled by adding "-vulkan" as a command line option. (launch options/ start argument) btw vulkan mostly uses the GPU over the CPU meaning this can be great for those who record gameplay especially on weaker CPUs.

all you need to know.

Go to library, L4D2 panel, see the gear usually to the right under the poster image? click that then click on "Properties" in the sub menu of it. a new window will pop up and in the "General" section you'll see "Launch Options" and just add "-vulkan" but remove the quotes. if -vulkan is already typed then it's fine and you should leave. if the game isn't working then you probably don't have a GPU or one that supports it. i have a GT1030 that works with vulkan. even the fan is broken.

if vulkan doesn't work or runs bad for you. just follow previous steps but this time just remove "-vulkan" to make it render with DirectX(windows) or OpenGL(linux)

[DukeyNukey]

i don't see how that'd be bad unless...actually i think even some intel cpus support vulkan. this shouldn't effect mods in anyway, why not just play the game?

[Darames]

Well, they say that it is extremely bad when -vulkan is added to the startup options, they say add vulkan with dxvk, how true is this?

Also, are game mods a problem?

[DukeyNukey]

yeah, especially with an rtx. also i've been noticing less stutters on vulkan.

[Darames]

I am using rtx 4060 is it good to enable vulcan?

[DukeyNukey]

actually i gotta say it's rivaled DX12 in terms of performance.

[DukeyNukey]

DX9 and lower are more CPU Dependent to the point most of the time they're playable with only an intergrated GPU (cpu rendering) but with vulkan it allows you to actually use your GPU for rendering since it'd so most if not all of the rendering. Vulkan also handles drawcalls better meaning you have better performance with more zombies. Also it's more stable on newer GPUs than those older rendering APIs. Even though valve just uses DXVK. It's still more efficient and strangely uses less cpu. The only disadvantages is if your GPU is somehow worse than a GT1030 or something really weird happens. Like one time bloom in TF2 caused a lot of lag in TF2 with water reflections. Idk but i doubt that zombie run map still has it.

[Darames]

I'm using Windows 11, what are the advantages/disadvantages of vulkan in the game?