A graphics library is a program library designed to aid in rendering computer graphics to a monitor. This typically involves providing optimized versions of functions that handle common rendering tasks. This can be done purely in software and running on the CPU, common in embedded systems, or being hardware accelerated by a GPU, more common in PCs. By employing these functions, a program can assemble an image to be output to a monitor. This relieves the programmer of the task of creating and optimizing these functions, and allows them to focus on building the graphics program. Graphics libraries are mainly used in video games and simulations.
The use of graphics libraries in connection with video production systems, such as Pixar RenderMan, is not covered here.
Latest Graphics Library usage across Operating Systems:
OS
Vulkan
Direct X
GNMX
Metal
Windows 10
Free, Nvidia and AMD
Free, MS
no
no
Mac
Free, MoltenVK
no
no
Free, Apple
Linux
Free
no
no
no
Android
Free
no
no
no
iOS
Free, MoltenVK
no
no
Free, Apple
Tizen
in Development
no
no
no
Sailfish
in Development
no
no
no
Xbox One
no
Free
no
no
Orbis OS (PS4)
no
no
Free
no
Nintendo Switch
Free
no
no
no
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