Includes Roadmap 2026 Profile
Released 2 February, 2026
LunarG is pleased to announce the release of Vulkan SDK 1.4.341.0 for Linux, macOS, and Windows. This update delivers support for Vulkan API 1.4.341, incorporates the Roadmap 2026 Profile for greater hardware consistency, advances KosmicKrisp to beta on Apple silicon, supports several new extensions, and enhances validation layers across the board.
Download it now from the Vulkan SDK page. We recommend always using the latest SDK for the best bug fixes, tools, and compatibility—SDKs older than two years are eventually removed from downloads, though all remain backwards compatible.
Core Highlights Across Platforms
- Roadmap 2026 Profile now included: This mandates key high-end features previously optional, driving consistency across modern desktop, mobile, and console hardware for easier cross-platform development.
- New Extensions (query for support, as implementation depends on drivers/ICDs):
- VK_KHR_internally_synchronized_queues: Opt-in internal queue synchronization for reduced external sync overhead
- VK_EXT_descriptor_heap: Explicit, heap-based descriptor management (DirectX 12 inspired) – great for bindless rendering and lower CPU overhead
- VK_EXT_shader_subgroup_partitioned: Advanced partitioned subgroup ops
VK_NV_push_constant_bank_support: More granular push constant control - VK_EXT_texture_compression_astc_3d: 3D ASTC compression support
- VK_EXT_shader_long_vector: Longer vectors + specialization constants in shaders
- VK_NV_compute_occupancy_priority: Hints for compute workload priority
- Full validation layer support for all listed KHR/EXT extensions in this release.
- CPU-based validation for VK_EXT_descriptor_heap included (GPU-based validation coming next release).
- Updated VUID coverage documentation (validation_error_database.csv/html) reflecting improved validation layer status.
Always update your Vulkan drivers to the latest vendor-recommended versions for optimal performance and compatibility.
Platform-Specific Updates
Linux
- GLIBC 2.35+ now required for precompiled binaries.
- Ubuntu Packages deprecated: May 2025 was the last release; older packages will be removed after two years.
- Android Validation Layers ship separately via the Validation Layers repo.
macOS
- KosmicKrisp (Vulkan-over-Metal for Apple Silicon) advances to beta quality. Key improvements include fixed pipeline cache handling from exports, improvements to compute/graphics state management, and exposure of vertexPipelineStoresAndAtomics. Performance tuning is the current focus.
- For the latest details on Vulkan development on Apple devices, including KosmicKrisp progress, check out our recent blog post: The State of Vulkan on Apple – Jan. 2026.
Windows
- Visual Studio 2019 support dropped—VS2022 is now required.
This release strengthens Vulkan’s cross-platform foundation, especially with the Roadmap 2026 mandates and macOS advancements via KosmicKrisp. Whether you’re targeting next-gen graphics, compute workloads, or unified development across ecosystems, these updates provide powerful new capabilities.
Grab the SDK today and dive in! Questions? Reach out via LunarG contact or join the Vulkan community discussions.
Thank You Vulkan Ecosystem Contributors!
A huge thank you to the entire Vulkan ecosystem for making the Vulkan 1.4.341 release possible! To every contributor, tester, driver vendor, application developer, Khronos working group member, and community voice who filed issues, provided feedback, validated conformance, or shared real-world insights—your collaboration, patience, and expertise turned another incremental step into a meaningful improvement for everyone. Grateful to be part of this journey with you all.
Happy coding! 🚀
Release Notes
Access the release notes for all of the details on the Vulkan SDK 1.4.341 release, including deprecation notices, known issues, and information on submitting defect reports.
Current Opportunities
