Description

Vulkan Version 1.2 promoted a number of key extensions into the core API:

All differences in behavior between these extensions and the corresponding Vulkan 1.2 functionality are summarized below.

Differences Relative to VK_KHR_8bit_storage

If the VK_KHR_8bit_storage extension is not supported, support for the SPIR-V storageBuffer8BitAccess capability in shader modules is optional. Support for this feature is defined by VkPhysicalDeviceVulkan12Features::storageBuffer8BitAccess when queried via vkGetPhysicalDeviceFeatures2.

Differences Relative to VK_KHR_draw_indirect_count

If the VK_KHR_draw_indirect_count extension is not supported, support for the commands vkCmdDrawIndirectCount and vkCmdDrawIndexedIndirectCount is optional. Support for this feature is defined by VkPhysicalDeviceVulkan12Features::drawIndirectCount when queried via vkGetPhysicalDeviceFeatures2.

Differences Relative to VK_KHR_sampler_mirror_clamp_to_edge

If the VK_KHR_sampler_mirror_clamp_to_edge extension is not supported, support for the VkSamplerAddressMode VK_SAMPLER_ADDRESS_MODE_MIRROR_CLAMP_TO_EDGE is optional. Support for this feature is defined by VkPhysicalDeviceVulkan12Features::samplerMirrorClampToEdge when queried via vkGetPhysicalDeviceFeatures2.

Differences Relative to VK_EXT_descriptor_indexing

If the VK_EXT_descriptor_indexing extension is not supported, support for the descriptorIndexing feature is optional. Support for this feature is defined by VkPhysicalDeviceVulkan12Features::descriptorIndexing when queried via vkGetPhysicalDeviceFeatures2.

Differences Relative to VK_EXT_scalar_block_layout

If the VK_EXT_scalar_block_layout extension is not supported, support for the scalarBlockLayout feature is optional. Support for this feature is defined by VkPhysicalDeviceVulkan12Features::scalarBlockLayout when queried via vkGetPhysicalDeviceFeatures2.

Differences Relative to VK_EXT_shader_viewport_index_layer

The ShaderViewportIndexLayerEXT SPIR-V capability was replaced with the ShaderViewportIndex and ShaderLayer capabilities. Declaring both is equivalent to declaring ShaderViewportIndexLayerEXT. If the VK_EXT_shader_viewport_index_layer extension is not supported, support for the ShaderViewportIndexLayerEXT SPIR-V capability is optional. Support for this feature is defined by VkPhysicalDeviceVulkan12Features::shaderOutputViewportIndex and VkPhysicalDeviceVulkan12Features::shaderOutputLayer when queried via vkGetPhysicalDeviceFeatures2.

Differences Relative to VK_KHR_buffer_device_address

If the VK_KHR_buffer_device_address extension is not supported, support for the bufferDeviceAddress feature is optional. Support for this feature is defined by VkPhysicalDeviceVulkan12Features::bufferDeviceAddress when queried via vkGetPhysicalDeviceFeatures2.

Differences Relative to VK_KHR_shader_atomic_int64

If the VK_KHR_shader_atomic_int64 extension is not supported, support for the shaderBufferInt64Atomics feature is optional. Support for this feature is defined by VkPhysicalDeviceVulkan12Features::shaderBufferInt64Atomics when queried via vkGetPhysicalDeviceFeatures2.

Differences Relative to VK_KHR_shader_float16_int8

If the VK_KHR_shader_float16_int8 extension is not supported, support for the shaderFloat16 and shaderInt8 features is optional. Support for these features are defined by VkPhysicalDeviceVulkan12Features::shaderFloat16 and VkPhysicalDeviceVulkan12Features::shaderInt8 when queried via vkGetPhysicalDeviceFeatures2.

Differences Relative to VK_KHR_vulkan_memory_model

If the VK_KHR_vulkan_memory_model extension is not supported, support for the vulkanMemoryModel feature is optional. Support for this feature is defined by VkPhysicalDeviceVulkan12Features::vulkanMemoryModel when queried via vkGetPhysicalDeviceFeatures2.

Additional Vulkan 1.2 Feature Support

In addition to the promoted extensions described above, Vulkan 1.2 added support for:

New Macros

New Structures

New Enum Constants

  • VK_MAX_DRIVER_INFO_SIZE

  • VK_MAX_DRIVER_NAME_SIZE

  • Extending VkBufferCreateFlagBits:

    • VK_BUFFER_CREATE_DEVICE_ADDRESS_CAPTURE_REPLAY_BIT

  • Extending VkBufferUsageFlagBits:

    • VK_BUFFER_USAGE_SHADER_DEVICE_ADDRESS_BIT

  • Extending VkDescriptorPoolCreateFlagBits:

    • VK_DESCRIPTOR_POOL_CREATE_UPDATE_AFTER_BIND_BIT

  • Extending VkDescriptorSetLayoutCreateFlagBits:

    • VK_DESCRIPTOR_SET_LAYOUT_CREATE_UPDATE_AFTER_BIND_POOL_BIT

  • Extending VkFormatFeatureFlagBits:

    • VK_FORMAT_FEATURE_SAMPLED_IMAGE_FILTER_MINMAX_BIT

  • Extending VkFramebufferCreateFlagBits:

    • VK_FRAMEBUFFER_CREATE_IMAGELESS_BIT

  • Extending VkImageLayout:

    • VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_DEPTH_ATTACHMENT_OPTIMAL

    • VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_DEPTH_READ_ONLY_OPTIMAL

    • VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_STENCIL_ATTACHMENT_OPTIMAL

    • VK_IMAGE_LAYOUT_STENCIL_READ_ONLY_OPTIMAL

  • Extending VkMemoryAllocateFlagBits:

    • VK_MEMORY_ALLOCATE_DEVICE_ADDRESS_BIT

    • VK_MEMORY_ALLOCATE_DEVICE_ADDRESS_CAPTURE_REPLAY_BIT

  • Extending VkResult:

    • VK_ERROR_FRAGMENTATION

    • VK_ERROR_INVALID_OPAQUE_CAPTURE_ADDRESS

  • Extending VkSamplerAddressMode:

    • VK_SAMPLER_ADDRESS_MODE_MIRROR_CLAMP_TO_EDGE

  • Extending VkStructureType:

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_ATTACHMENT_DESCRIPTION_2

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_ATTACHMENT_DESCRIPTION_STENCIL_LAYOUT

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_ATTACHMENT_REFERENCE_2

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_ATTACHMENT_REFERENCE_STENCIL_LAYOUT

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_BUFFER_DEVICE_ADDRESS_INFO

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_BUFFER_OPAQUE_CAPTURE_ADDRESS_CREATE_INFO

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_DESCRIPTOR_SET_LAYOUT_BINDING_FLAGS_CREATE_INFO

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_DESCRIPTOR_SET_VARIABLE_DESCRIPTOR_COUNT_ALLOCATE_INFO

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_DESCRIPTOR_SET_VARIABLE_DESCRIPTOR_COUNT_LAYOUT_SUPPORT

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_DEVICE_MEMORY_OPAQUE_CAPTURE_ADDRESS_INFO

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_FRAMEBUFFER_ATTACHMENTS_CREATE_INFO

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_FRAMEBUFFER_ATTACHMENT_IMAGE_INFO

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_IMAGE_FORMAT_LIST_CREATE_INFO

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_IMAGE_STENCIL_USAGE_CREATE_INFO

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_MEMORY_OPAQUE_CAPTURE_ADDRESS_ALLOCATE_INFO

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_8BIT_STORAGE_FEATURES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_BUFFER_DEVICE_ADDRESS_FEATURES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_DEPTH_STENCIL_RESOLVE_PROPERTIES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_DESCRIPTOR_INDEXING_FEATURES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_DESCRIPTOR_INDEXING_PROPERTIES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_DRIVER_PROPERTIES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_FLOAT_CONTROLS_PROPERTIES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_HOST_QUERY_RESET_FEATURES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_IMAGELESS_FRAMEBUFFER_FEATURES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_SAMPLER_FILTER_MINMAX_PROPERTIES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_SCALAR_BLOCK_LAYOUT_FEATURES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_SEPARATE_DEPTH_STENCIL_LAYOUTS_FEATURES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_SHADER_ATOMIC_INT64_FEATURES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_SHADER_FLOAT16_INT8_FEATURES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_SHADER_SUBGROUP_EXTENDED_TYPES_FEATURES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_TIMELINE_SEMAPHORE_FEATURES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_TIMELINE_SEMAPHORE_PROPERTIES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_UNIFORM_BUFFER_STANDARD_LAYOUT_FEATURES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_VULKAN_1_1_FEATURES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_VULKAN_1_1_PROPERTIES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_VULKAN_1_2_FEATURES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_VULKAN_1_2_PROPERTIES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_VULKAN_MEMORY_MODEL_FEATURES

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_RENDER_PASS_ATTACHMENT_BEGIN_INFO

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_RENDER_PASS_CREATE_INFO_2

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_SAMPLER_REDUCTION_MODE_CREATE_INFO

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_SEMAPHORE_SIGNAL_INFO

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_SEMAPHORE_TYPE_CREATE_INFO

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_SEMAPHORE_WAIT_INFO

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_SUBPASS_BEGIN_INFO

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_SUBPASS_DEPENDENCY_2

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_SUBPASS_DESCRIPTION_2

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_SUBPASS_DESCRIPTION_DEPTH_STENCIL_RESOLVE

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_SUBPASS_END_INFO

    • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_TIMELINE_SEMAPHORE_SUBMIT_INFO

See Also

Document Notes

For more information, see the Vulkan Specification

This page is extracted from the Vulkan Specification. Fixes and changes should be made to the Specification, not directly.

Copyright 2014-2025 The Khronos Group Inc.

SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-4.0