When we install a video game, normally a window appears that tells us about install a plugin named DirectX. This API for videogames It is the most popular among developers, but there are others. Vulkan is another API for videogame development and has the advantage of being open source. This appears as Vulkan Run Time Libraries, that is installed when we install a game that makes use of this API.
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What is Vulkan?
It is a multiplatform API for the development of 3D graphics. It was unveiled at GDC 2015 by the Khronos Group, who billed it as “the next generation OpenGL initiative”.
Vulkan is an API that is based on Mantle. API Mantle was developed by AMD and its code was shared with Khronos with the idea that it was an open source standard. It is for this reason that games developed under this API tend to perform better with AMD graphics, because it is 'optimized' for their GPUs.
The main feature of Vulkan is They have the ability to tap into all the processor cores. This causes a significant performance increase.
Vulkan differs from DirectX in that can work on many platformssuch as Windows, Android, Linux, and the PlayStation 5 console. The NVIDIA engineer, Martin Thomasha has even adapted Vulkan to get it to work on a Raspberry Pi.
What is Vulkan Run Time?
Simply It is an add-on that we need to have installed to be able to play games which are based on the Vulkan API. In this sense it is the same as DirectX, If we don't have it and the game requires it, we won't be able to run the game.
[box type=»note» align=»» class=»» width=»»]Can also be found as Vulkan RunTime, Vulkan RT or Vulkan Run[/box]
What is Vulkan Run Time for?
At the risk of sounding repetitive, to be able to run a video game. In a more pedantic way we could define it as a set of subroutines, functions and procedures offered by a certain library that are used by software as an abstraction layer. They are also used to get the most out of hardware.
Is Vulkan Run Time Libraries a virus?
As it is a less used API than DirectX, many users are surprised to see it installed on their computers. You can be calm, since Vulkan Run Time is not a virus, is a complement to be able to run a game. If you have it installed, you have installed or have installed a game that needed it.
Rest assured, it is the same as the DirectX API, only from another developer and with other features. You should keep in mind that it has the support of companies such as AMD, Valve (Steam), Rockstar Studios, CryTek, Ubisoft or Epic Games (ForTnite is based on the Vulkan API)
Can I uninstall Vulkan Run Time?
Yes, being like any other installed program or tool, you can uninstall it whenever you like. The problem is that if you have a installed game that requires this API, you need to have it installed. Even if you think you don't need it, most likely you do, since there are more and more games based on this API.
Like any other software or tool, you can reinstall this API when you consider it. The good news is that it is free and open source, so it can be downloaded from many sites.
Games based on this API
If you are not sure if you have a game that makes use of Vulkan Run Time, we leave you this complete list. This will allow you to know why you have this add-on installed on your computer. It will also serve as a reference to know whether or not you should uninstall it, although we continue to recommend that you not do so.
| GAME | DEVELOPERS | GAME | DEVELOPERS |
| Aerofly FS 2 | IPACS | Quake III Arena | Id Software |
| Artifact | Valve | 2 Rage | id Software, Avalanche Studios |
| Ashes of the Singularity | Oxide Games, Stardock Entertainment | Rainbow Six: Siege | Ubisoft Montreal |
| astrokill | Doomsday games | Red Dead Redemption 2 | Rockstar studios |
| Aura kingdom 2 | X Legend Entertainment | Rise of the Tomb Raider | Crystal Dynamics, Feral Interactive |
| Ballistic overkill | Aquiris Game Studio | Roblox | Roblox Corporation |
| Crown four kingdoms | X Legend Entertainment | score! Hero | First Touch Games |
| Detroit: Become Human | Quantic Dream | Score! matches | First Touch Games |
| Doom | Id Software | Serious Sam Fusion 2017 | Croteam |
| Doom Eternal | Id Software | Serious Sam VR: The First Encounter | Croteam VR |
| Doom3 BFG | Id Software | Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope | Croteam VR |
| Dota 2 | Valve | Serious Sam VR: The Second Encounter | Croteam VR |
| Dream League Soccer | First Touch Games | Steel rats | Tate Media |
| F1 2017 | Codemasters, Feral Interactive | Strange Brigade | Rebellion Developments |
| Forsaken Remastered | Nightdive Studios | The Climb | Crytek |
| Fortnite Battle Royale | Epic Games | The Surge 2 | Deck13 |
| Galaxy on Fire 3 - Manticore | Deep Silver | The Talos Principle | Croteam |
| geocore | anarchy interactive | TO4 - Tactical Operations 4 | TacByte |
| Half-Life: Alyx | Valve | Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint | Ubisoft Paris |
| Heroes of Incredible Tales | NAT Games | Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia | Creative Assembly, Feral Interactive |
| Hundred soul | Hound 13 | Total War: Warhammer II | Creative Assembly |
| Life is Strange 2 | Feral Interactive | Traha | Moai games |
| Lineage 2 Revolution | Netmarble neo | Vainglory | Super Evil Megacorp |
| Mad Max | Avalanche Studios, Feral Interactive | Vendetta Online | GuildSoftware |
| Need for Speed: No Limits | Firemonkeys studios | Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III | Relic Entertainment, Feral Interactive |
| nGlide compatible games [100] | Zeus Software | Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War | slitherine |
| No Man's Sky | Hello Games | Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus | MachineGames |
| Olympus Rising | Flaregames | Wolfenstein: Youngblood | MachineGames, Arkane Studios |
| Path of Exile | Grinding Gear Games | World War Z | Saber Interactive |
| Quake | Id Software | X Rebirth VR Edition | Egosoft GmbH |
| Quake II | Id Software | X4: Foundations | Egosoft GmbH |
| Quake II RTX | id Software, Nvidia Lightspeed Studios, Bethesda Softworks | X-Plane 11 | Laminar Research |
Conclusion
Vulkan Run Time Libraries at the end is an application that you need to have installed on your computer. This will only work when we are going to play a game that uses the API. We have left you a complete list so that you know which games use it and you can know if you have one of these games installed on your computer or in your Steam library, UPlay, Epic Games Store, etc.
