AMD Expands On Microsoft Blog Post, Reiterates Mantle Goals
by Ryan Smith on October 15, 2013 10:00 AM EST
Picking up from where we left off with Microsoft's blog post on the state of Direct3D, AMD has released their own short statement through Twitter expanding on Microsoft's blog post with respect to Mantle. Essentially reiterating their design goals for Mantle, AMD laid out why Mantle isn’t in the console (it already has a low level API) and how they intend for Mantle to bridge the gap with console code. Strictly speaking there isn’t any new information here regarding Mantle, but it does serve to provide a short and simple description of Mantle straight from AMD.
Mantle is NOT in consoles. What Mantle creates for the PC is a development environment that's *similar* to the consoles, which already offer low-level APIs, close-to-metal programming, easier development and more (vs. the complicated PC environment). By creating a more console-like developer environment, Mantle: improves time to market; reduces development costs; and allows for considerably more efficient rendering, improving performance for gamers. The console connection is made because next-gen uses Radeon, so much of the programming they're doing for the consoles are already well-suited to a modern Radeon architecture on the desktop; that continuum is what allows Mantle to exist. ^RH
Of course the big question remains unanswered: just how similar Mantle is to the Xbox One's low level API constructs? AMD has laid out a strong case for why it's important to make the porting of code from the console as easy as possible, and in the process left a number of hints indicating that Mantle should be very similar, including committing to supporting Direct3D's High Level Shader Language (HLSL) within Mantle. We should have a better and more complete picture of the full API next month when AMD's 2013 Developer Summit convenes.
Source: AMD Twitter
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Wolfpup - Wednesday, October 16, 2013 - link
If Mantle isn't pretty much a straight shot from the consoles to PC, then it's pointless."Mantle: improves time to market; reduces development costs>>>
No, it INCREASES development costs, as now you've got to support OpenGL and/or Direct3D, AND Mantle. And you're doing it to support some current AMD hardware, and who knows for how long they'll even support it? Eh?
<<<and allows for considerably more efficient rendering, improving performance for gamers.>>>
If it actually does that, it means there's something wrong with OpenGL and/or Direct3D, and they need to help fix them.
erple2 - Thursday, October 17, 2013 - link
Not having actually used Mantle, or developed a game in it, I don't think that you can necessarily make that claim. I also don't know how it makes things easier and our cheaper, but I've not used it. I can say that developing for directx is surprisingly complex. A lower level programming language could be easier and or cheaper. Even programming the hlsl is highly dependent on whether you want to optimize performance for nv or amd hardware. Perhaps with Mantle there is less tweaking you need to do for amd hardware?Th-z - Thursday, October 17, 2013 - link
AMD did say it's not for everyone, DirectX will continue to be supported by all cards. On consoles both high and low level API exist, people can choose which one to use depending on type of their game, cost, and time. Same thing here, for game developers and game engine makers who want to push the envelope, who don't settle for good enough ports, or to showcase what they can achieve, there is an option on PC side. When game engines and middle wares support variety of APIs including high performance API like Mantle, developers who use these tools can inherent these supports for their games.Dman23 - Wednesday, October 16, 2013 - link
I have to say that I'm looking forward to what Mantle has to offer. It looks like it's going to be very goodShiggy Piggy - Monday, October 21, 2013 - link
So, AMD has made an Xbox One emulator for windows?polaco - Monday, October 21, 2013 - link
maybe what AMD means is that if you use Mantle then you can compile take advantage in some kind of compiler at the time the code is compiled for certain platform. If Mantle API is similar to Xbox One DX 11.X API or PS4 apis, then maybe the compiler can translate a mantle instruction to a console instruction. Maybe native support for Mantle is not needed. Then to pc each hardware vendor migth be able to provide their "translation" functions or set of functions from a Mantle api call to a specific hardware call or something like that.