KosmicKrisp Arrives on macOS!
Released 9 December, 2025
We’re excited to announce the immediate availability of Vulkan SDK version 1.4.335 from LunarG. This release brings a long list of new extensions, improved validation tooling, clearer layer configuration, and – most notably – the first SDK-integrated version of KosmicKrisp, a Vulkan-over-Metal translation layer for Apple Silicon Macs.
Headline Feature: KosmicKrisp (Alpha)
KosmicKrisp is a Vulkan-to-Metal layered driver that allows Vulkan applications to run natively on Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, …).
- Currently in alpha quality – functionality and completeness are still evolving.
- Included in the macOS SDK bundle to make it easy to test and provide feedback.
- Works only on Apple Silicon Macs (not Intel-based Macs).
- Not yet functionally equivalent to MoltenVK – expect missing features and bugs.
If you’re curious, grab the SDK, follow the Getting Started guide for enabling the driver and issue reporting instructions so that we can iterate quickly. Early community testing is invaluable!
New Vulkan Extensions (All Platforms)
The header set now contains the following newly ratified or promoted extensions. As always, these are optional – query at runtime to see if your driver supports them:
- VK_EXT_present_timing
- VK_EXT_custom_resolve
- VK_EXT_ray_tracing_invocation_reorder
- VK_QCOM_data_graph_model
- VK_ARM_performance_counters_by_region
- VK_OHOS_external_memory
- VK_KHR_maintenance10
- VK_EXT_memory_decompression
- VK_EXT_shader_64bit_indexing
- VK_EXT_shader_uniform_buffer_unsized_array
- VK_OHOS_native_buffer
- VK_KHR_shader_fma
Validation & Debugging Improvements
- Legacy Detection is now available as an opt-in validation feature. When enabled, the validation layers will warn you about use of deprecated or superseded Vulkan entry points and behaviors. Perfect for cleaning up codebases before the next major API revision. (See the Legacy Detection document for all the details.)
- Layer Settings documentation has been significantly expanded and is now browsable directly from the Vulkan Configurator. You’ll find detailed dependency graphs, platform support tables, sub-setting explanations, and direct links to spec references.
- Updated VUID coverage database (CSV and HTML) reflecting the current state of validation checks.
Slang Library Versioning & Redistribution Rules
The bundled Slang shading-language libraries have received important versioning updates:
- macOS & Linux: libraries are now versioned in the filename (e.g., libslang-compiler.so.0.2025.21). The major version remains 0, explicitly signaling an unstable ABI.
- Windows: filenames remain unversioned, but the same ABI-stability rules apply.
Critical redistribution note for anyone shipping binary products that embed Slang:
You must ship the exact Slang DLLs/.dylibs/.so files you linked against. End-users cannot simply install a newer (or older) Slang release and expect your binary to continue working. The ABI is not yet stable, and the linkage is strict.
Release Notes
Access the release notes for all of the details on the Vulkan SDK 1.4.335 release, including deprecation notices, known issues, and information on submitting defect reports.
Download
Grab the new SDK today from the official LunarG site: https://vulkan.lunarg.com/sdk/home
Happy rendering, and we can’t wait to hear how KosmicKrisp performs on your Apple Silicon rigs!
— The LunarG Team
