Following 17 years, Minecraft Java Edition commences replacing OpenGL with a Vulkan multi-threaded renderer — the upgrade will offer a major benefit for performance and modding

Minecraft might be approaching nearly 15 years of age, yet the title's appeal remains just as robust. The game's two versions (Bedrock and Java) did create some division, however. The Java Edition's now-dated OpenGL renderer has been a headache for both performance and modding, but Mojang Studios is fixing that with a new Vulkan renderer.

The enhancement should provide performance gains, greater stability, and vastly better support for current graphics effects. In a blog post, Mojang says the Vibrant Visuals update is coming to the Java Edition, with testing expected to start sometime this summer.

Mojang states that it retained OpenGL for an extended duration to facilitate the maintenance of functional versions for Windows, Linux, and macOS. That was a double-edged sword, as the studio now cites macOS support as the straw that broke the camel's back. The game was stuck on an old version of OpenGL that Macs can still use, and will likely be dropped entirely.

OpenGL and the title's graphic framework are quite outdated by modern criteria and have frequently bothered the modding community, while also preventing major enhancements in speed. Besides likely being a lot faster on its own, the new Vulkan renderer will run in a separate thread from the main game logic.

Mojang's announcement voices apprehensions regarding modding, a vital element that sustains the Java Edition as the leading iteration across the Windows/Linux/macOS platforms. Predictably, the studio notes the shift to Vulkan will create more work for graphical modders than a simple point update, and encourages them to try and stick to the game's internal rendering APIs as much as possible.

However, Mojang is also requesting feedback from the community, and outright tells modders that "if [the APIs aren't] sufficient for your needs, then come and talk to us", and keeps a Discord server dedicated to Technical discussion. When the first test versions with Vulkan arrive, players will be able to switch between them, though Mojang asks gamers to be patient with their modders when the switch-over starts.

The update sounds pretty excellent overall, though perhaps not so for anyone still playing Minecraft on graphics cards without Vulkan support.

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