Apple adds DX12 support to MacOS via its Game Porting Toolkit | Hacker News Reader

Apple adds DX12 support to MacOS via its Game Porting Toolkit

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68 pointskkcorps20 comments

Why is this not bigger news? This is incredible, assuming it works and is easy for Devs to port.

This isn't anything. The game porting toolkit is literally just Wine, and only there to "test how your game runs." They basically leveraged the work those all those Valve contractors have done lately, and are hiding it behind a massive single patch.

They go on about how if you're using middleware it might support macos already, and if not, you can port to the native APIs anyway!

Lastly, they tout their HLSL to Metal shader converter, which is likely just SPIRV-Cross behind the scenes.

It's just pure evangelism, and it kind of makes me mad.

Edit: This article from a couple of days ago seems to confirm my suspicion: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2023/06/new-directx-12-to-met...

According to CrossOver the DX12 implementation is mostly unique to Apple and is a separate implementation. Most of the rest is open-source CrossOver.

https://www.codeweavers.com/blog/mjohnson/2023/6/6/wine-come...

Worth remembering Apple doesn’t want developers to just release games using it, but rather use it as a launch point.

This would, frankly, make sense considering it’s DirectX to Metal. Proton previously doesn’t target Metal directly as far as I know, except through MoltenVK. Which is really ugly…

As far as I understand:

Previously: DirectX -> Proton -> Vulkan -> MoltenVK -> Metal (quite inefficient)

Now: DirectX -> Apple Game Porting Toolkit -> Metal (more efficient)

That article didn't really clarify on the actual D3D to Metal conversion, so the specifics are still unknown.

From what I see, though, it doesn't look like Apple's solution is novel, and I doubt it would be considering this is a throwaway testing framework.

But that requires the developer to do stuff, right?

How's the support for d3d9 through dxvk like for end users?

I'm surprised they haven't worked directly with Valve for Proton support...

Then that would mean giving up a chance to push people into the App Store and taking 15-30%

But it would also mean bringing Steam to Mac in a way that doesn't suck.

The only way Apple will let Steam come to Mac in a "good way" is if they go through the App store and allow Apple take 15-30%. Or they're forced to allow them via legislation.

Steam has been on the Mac for over a decade. Get over yourself.

> Get over yourself.

What?

I'm not talking about Steam on Mac. Why would Apple help Valve get games working on Steam? If Apple would help, the expectation would be that those games end up in the App Store.

> The only way Apple will let Steam come to Mac

> I'm not talking about Steam on Mac

> Get over yourself.

You have a confusing debating style. It’s not very effective.

I was pleasantly surprised at Apple's work toward wider game support that they announced at WWDC. I mean it doesn't mean most triple-A games will have support any time soon, but it's a step in the right direction.

As I was watching and reloaded the page, apple seems to have taken down their tutorials related to this, for now. Still, really exciting to see official support for getting games ported from windows!!

It's back up again now[0].

[0]: https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2023/10123/

Diablo IV isn't supported on Mac. I wonder how this can be used to bridge the gap.

https://reddit.com/r/macgaming/comments/14307be/diablo_iv_on...

Find a better game. Blizzard is dead. It’s all just pay to win now.

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