Includes Vulkan 1.4-conformant support for macOS
Released 29 September, 2026
Vulkan SDK 1.4.363.0 is out today for Windows, Linux, and macOS. It supports Vulkan API revision 1.4.363.
The story of this release is the Mac. KosmicKrisp is now a Vulkan 1.4-conformant ICD in the SDK—the driver LunarG has been building in Mesa is now at the official 1.4 bar. If you have been waiting to treat Apple silicon as a first-class Vulkan 1.4 target, this is the SDK to install.
Download the SDK • Read the KosmicKrisp conformance post
What 1.4 conformance does for you
Until now, “Vulkan on the Mac” often meant a separate support story. Vulkan 1.4 conformance for KosmicKrisp means:
- One Vulkan 1.4 source tree can target Linux, Windows, Android, and macOS environments
- The same validation, capture, and configuration workflow now works on the Mac
- A listed, spec-tested ICD delivers the expected user experience for Vulkan applications on macOS
KosmicKrisp support in 1.4.363.0 includes:
- depthBounds on Apple M5 hardware and later
- Performance and memory work aimed at Apple silicon of all types
- Window Server crash fixes and smaller bug fixes
- VK_EXT_debug_utils now supports Metal objects, which makes debugging on the Metal side much less opaque
- Added extensions: VK_EXT_map_memory_placed, VK_EXT_provoking_vertex, VK_EXT_depth_clip_enable, VK_AMD_buffer_marker, VK_KHR_deferred_host_operations, and VK_EXT_sampler_filter_minmax (M5+)
KosmicKrisp is built on Metal 4, so macOS 26 or later is required. GPU-Assisted Validation and Debug Printf on macOS work with KosmicKrisp; they do not work with MoltenVK.
Also new on Apple platforms: the Vulkan loader and validation-layer XCFrameworks can be used in the iOS simulator.
New Extension Support
As with every release, headers have been updated to include support for new extensions.
Windows and Linux add VK_INTEL_device_info, VK_KHR_pipeline_library_group_handles, VK_VALVE_buffer_device_address_allocation_alignment, VK_NV_private_data_base_handle, VK_EXT_cooperative_matrix_maintenance1, and VK_EXT_image_tiling_control.
macOS headers add a larger set, including VK_KHR_opacity_micromap, VK_KHR_extended_flags, VK_EXT_multisampled_render_to_swapchain, VK_EXT_shader_split_barrier, and several vendor extensions. See the macOS release notes for the full list.
Remember that a header addition does not guarantee driver support. Query at runtime.
Tooling: vkprofiles in, gen_profiles on the way out
The SDK now includes vkprofiles, a command-line tool that processes Vulkan Profiles files and generates code and documentation.
If you still use the gen_profiles scripts, start moving to vkprofiles, since they will be replaced by vkprofiles in the next SDK release.
Validation coverage docs (validation_usage_todo.html) were refreshed so the VUID status matches what the layer actually checks.
Thank You!
Thank you to the developers who helped make 1.4.363.0 possible—especially KosmicKrisp contributors in Mesa and everyone who tested the driver on Apple silicon. Community issues, reviews, and patches are a large part of why Vulkan 1.4 conformance ships in this SDK.
Release Notes
Access the release notes for all of the details on the Vulkan SDK 1.4.363.0 release, including deprecation notices, known issues, and information on submitting defect reports.
