An Update on Apple M1/M2 GPU Drivers
Alyssa Rosenzweig updated on Apple M1/M2 GPU drivers, achieving OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.3 conformance, supporting tessellation shaders, and enabling x86 game emulation on ARM hardware. Future work targets M3 support.
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Alyssa Rosenzweig provided an update on the Apple M1 and M2 GPU drivers at the X.Org Developers Conference 2024, highlighting significant advancements in the driver, which is notably written in Rust. The driver has achieved OpenGL 4.6 conformance and now supports tessellation shaders, although limitations in the hardware prevent full compliance with OpenGL, Vulkan, and Direct3D standards. The driver emulates certain features using compute shaders, and while software-only tessellation is slow, OpenCL-based tessellation shows promising performance. Rosenzweig also announced Vulkan 1.3 conformance for the Honeykrisp driver, which has been adapted from NVIDIA's NVK driver. Despite challenges in running AAA games due to differences in architecture and memory management, a virtual machine approach allows for effective emulation of x86 games on ARM hardware. Games like Portal and Cyberpunk 2077 have been successfully run on the system, although higher RAM is recommended for optimal performance. Rosenzweig plans to work on M3 GPU support next, while ray tracing is not a current priority. The session concluded with a demonstration of gameplay, showcasing the capabilities of the new driver.
- The Apple M1/M2 GPU driver has achieved OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.3 conformance.
- Tessellation shaders are supported, but hardware limitations restrict full compliance with major graphics standards.
- A virtual machine approach enables running x86 games on ARM hardware, with successful gameplay demonstrated.
- Higher RAM is recommended for running demanding games, with 16GB being ideal.
- Future work will focus on M3 GPU support, while ray tracing is not prioritized.
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- Many commenters express admiration for Alyssa's dedication and the technical challenges she has overcome.
- There is a call for recognition of her contributions, with suggestions for awards and job opportunities.
- Some users discuss the complexities of hardware emulation and the potential for future developments, such as M3 support.
- Comments highlight the impressive nature of her work, especially considering her young age when she started.
- There are discussions about the broader implications of her work for gaming and driver development on Linux.
20 commentsI know this type of work can be challenging to say the least. My own dabble with Zig and Pinephone hardware drivers reminded me of some of the pain of poorly documented hardware, but what a reward when it works.
My own M1 was only purchased because of this project and Alyssa's efforts with OpenGL+ES. It only ever boots Asahi Linux. Thank-you very much for your efforts.
This also touches on a broader question about the future of open-source efforts on platforms that are inherently restrictive. While it's inspiring to see games like Control running at 45fps on an M1 MAX with open-source drivers, it begs the question: Should the community continue to invest significant resources into making closed systems more open, or should efforts be redirected toward promoting more open hardware standards?
Apple's approach to hardware design warrants criticism. By creating GPUs with limitations that hinder standard functionalities like tessellation shaders and using non-standard page sizes, Apple places unnecessary obstacles in the path of developers. This closed ecosystem not only complicates the work for open-source contributors but also stifles innovation that could benefit all users.
Have to say I do enjoy all the old school style whimsy with the witch costume and whatnot.
It's truly stunning that anyone could do what she did, let alone a teenager (yes I know, she's not a teenager anymore, passage of time, etc :D)
...so far. The presenter is only 23 apparently. Maybe I'm speaking only for myself here, but I think career unhingedness does not go down over time as much as one might hope.
In all seriousness, she does really impressive work, so when she says this 2,000 lines of C++ is inscrutable, that gives one pause. Glad it's working nonetheless.
oh my.
That's incredibly arrogant. The whole industry is adopting ray tracing, and it is a very desired feature people are upgrading video cards to get working on games they play.
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