Difference between revisions of "Compatibility layers"

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While not strictly emulation ''per se'' (hence why [[Wine]] stands for "Wine Is Not an Emulator"), '''compatibility layers''' allow software written for one operating system to be run on a different OS, often by translating API and system calls made by an application to their equivalent calls in the host operating system. In theory, this should allow for near-native performance since no processor emulation takes place, but in practice certain software such as games tend to run a bit slower such as in the case of OpenGL to Direct3D translation as done through Wine. Additionally, compatibility layers may also use emulation in order to run software built for a different architecture.
+
While not strictly emulation ''per se'' (hence why [[Wine]] stands for "Wine Is Not an Emulator"), '''compatibility layers''' allow software written for one operating system to run on a different OS, often by translating API and system calls made by an application to their equivalent calls in the host operating system. In theory, this should allow for near-native performance since no processor emulation takes place, but in practice some software such as games will tend to run a bit slower due to other bottlenecks that occur as a result of [[Emulation Accuracy|replicating the correct behavior]], such as accounting for graphics APIs like Direct3D that aren't supported on non-Microsoft platforms. Additionally, compatibility layers may also use emulation in order to run software built for a different architecture.
  
 
==Compatibility layers==
 
==Compatibility layers==
Line 16: Line 16:
 
|Linux, macOS
 
|Linux, macOS
 
|[https://wiki.winehq.org/Download {{WineVer}}]
 
|[https://wiki.winehq.org/Download {{WineVer}}]
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 
|Windows applications and games
 
|-
 
|[[Wineskin]]
 
|macOS
 
|[http://wineskin.urgesoftware.com/tiki-index.php?page=Downloads 1.7]
 
 
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 
|Windows applications and games
 
|Windows applications and games
Line 33: Line 27:
 
|[[TeknoParrot]]
 
|[[TeknoParrot]]
 
|Windows
 
|Windows
|[https://teknoparrot.com/ {{TeknoVer}}]
+
|{{TeknoVer}}
 
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 
|Windows-based arcade games
 
|Windows-based arcade games
 +
|-
 +
|[[Darling]]
 +
|Linux
 +
|[https://github.com/darlinghq/darling Git]
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} <small>(WIP)</small>
 +
|macOS software
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[WineVDM]]
 
|[[WineVDM]]
Line 42: Line 42:
 
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
 
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
 
|16-bit Windows apps and games
 
|16-bit Windows apps and games
 +
|-
 +
|[[Wineskin]]
 +
|macOS
 +
|[http://wineskin.urgesoftware.com/tiki-index.php?page=Downloads 1.7]
 +
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
 +
|Windows applications and games
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[WoW]]
 
|[[WoW]]
Line 60: Line 66:
 
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
 
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
 
|Classic Mac OS software up to System 6
 
|Classic Mac OS software up to System 6
|-
 
|[[Darling]]
 
|Linux
 
|[https://github.com/darlinghq/darling Git]
 
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} <small>(WIP)</small>
 
|macOS software
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
!colspan="6"|Mobile
 
!colspan="6"|Mobile
Line 77: Line 77:
  
 
===Comparisons===
 
===Comparisons===
*[[Wine]] is a free and open-source compatibility layer that aims to allow computer programs (application software and computer games) developed for Microsoft Windows to run on Unix-like operating systems, primarily Linux and macOS. Since late 2017 there is also an experimental build for Android. Wine is almost as old as the Linux project, starting in the summer of 1993. Today it widely used, very popular and sponsored by companies such as CodeWeavers and Valve. The core Wine development aims at a correct implementation of the Windows API as a whole and has sometimes lagged in some areas of compatibility with certain applications. In this regard it's similar to the [[MAME]] project in its focus on correctness over usability. There are a lot of versions/forks of Wine which focus of different goals, such as usability or compatibility. A few are listed below, Wikipedia has [[wikipedia:Wine_(software)#Other_versions_of_Wine|a complete list]].
+
*[[Wine]] is a free and open-source compatibility layer that aims to allow computer programs (application software and computer games) developed for Microsoft Windows to run on Unix-like operating systems, primarily Linux and macOS. Since late 2017 there is also an experimental build for Android. Wine is almost as old as the Linux project, starting in the summer of 1993. Today it's widely used, very popular and sponsored by companies such as CodeWeavers and Valve. The core Wine development aims at a correct implementation of the Windows API as a whole. In this regard it's similar to the [[MAME]] project in its focus on correctness over usability. There are a lot of versions/forks of Wine which focus of different goals, such as usability, compatibility, gaming, office applications, etc. A few are listed below, Wikipedia has [[wikipedia:Wine_(software)#Other_versions_of_Wine|a more complete list]].
**[[Proton]] is Valves one-click solution to play Windows games on Linux. It's included in the Steam Linux client by default. Simply click on a whitelisted game and it will launch without any configuration, or enable it for all games in the settings. Proton is based on fork of Wine in combination with DXVK (explained below).
+
**[[Proton]] is Valves one-click solution to play Windows games on Linux. It's included in the Steam Linux client by default. Simply click on a whitelisted game and it will launch without any configuration, or enable it for all games in the settings. Proton is based on a fork of Wine in combination with other components such as DXVK (explained below) and FAudio.
 
**[[Wineskin]] is an open-source compatibility layer which allows users to easily convert Windows software to macOS. The ports are in the form of Mac .app bundles with a self-contained Wine instance which are wrapped around the application to be converted.  
 
**[[Wineskin]] is an open-source compatibility layer which allows users to easily convert Windows software to macOS. The ports are in the form of Mac .app bundles with a self-contained Wine instance which are wrapped around the application to be converted.  
 
* [[TeknoParrot]] is a compatibility layer for Windows PCs to run games originally made for Windows-based arcade systems. Has since version 1.51 also support for some games from the Linux-based Sega Lindbergh arcade board.
 
* [[TeknoParrot]] is a compatibility layer for Windows PCs to run games originally made for Windows-based arcade systems. Has since version 1.51 also support for some games from the Linux-based Sega Lindbergh arcade board.
 
* [[Darling]] is a translation layer that allows you to run unmodified macOS binaries on Linux. In its nature, it is similar to the well-known [[Wine]] project. At this point, does not yet run macOS application with a GUI.
 
* [[Darling]] is a translation layer that allows you to run unmodified macOS binaries on Linux. In its nature, it is similar to the well-known [[Wine]] project. At this point, does not yet run macOS application with a GUI.
  
 +
==Graphics APIs==
 +
Compatibility layers may also make use of '''wrappers''', which translate a specific graphics API to another. How the user sets up the wrapper varies between each project but most involve a drop-in replacement of the original libraries.
  
==Graphics APIs==
+
To understand why this is needed for older games, it's important to understand that during the 90s the graphics card market for [[Intel CPUs|IBM PCs and compatibles]] was in its infancy, and Direct3D wasn't an automatic choice for developers. Some games were often designed for 3Dfx's Glide API so that it would run with their Voodoo card. With 3dfx going bankrupt however, support for Glide didn't stay around and the API was made open-source, but NVIDIA and AMD never incorporated it into their drivers. A wrapper is now needed to play these games with hardware acceleration, or if we're lucky the game gets [[Game engine recreations/Source Ports|a port]] to other APIs instead.
There are also compatibility layers for graphics APIs, sometimes refered to as wrappers. They enable software written for a specific graphics API to run on another. This can be used to run older software on more modern hardware and operating systems, such as games designed for the 3Dfx Glide API without the need for having 3Dfx Voodoo graphics card. Or running modern Windows games on Linux by translating Direct3D calls to Vulkan.
 
  
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
Line 92: Line 93:
 
! scope="col"|Operating System(s)
 
! scope="col"|Operating System(s)
 
! scope="col"|Latest Version
 
! scope="col"|Latest Version
 +
! scope="col"|Translates
 +
! scope="col"|Into
 
! scope="col"|Active
 
! scope="col"|Active
 
! scope="col"|[[Recommended Emulators|Recommended]]
 
! scope="col"|[[Recommended Emulators|Recommended]]
! scope="col"|Translates from
+
|-
! scope="col"|To
+
! colspan="7"|90's APIs
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[http://www.zeus-software.com/downloads/nglide nGlide]
 
|[http://www.zeus-software.com/downloads/nglide nGlide]
 
|Windows
 
|Windows
|[http://www.zeus-software.com/downloads/nglide 2.0]
+
|[http://www.zeus-software.com/downloads/nglide 2.10]
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 
 
|Glide
 
|Glide
 
|Vulkan, Direct3D 9
 
|Vulkan, Direct3D 9
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 
|-
 
|-
|[https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk DXVK]
+
|[[Wine|Wine DirectX]]
|Linux
+
|Windows, Linux, macOS
|[https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk/releases 0.95]
+
|[https://wiki.winehq.org/Download {{WineVer}}] <small>(Linux, macOS)</small><br /> [https://fdossena.com/?p=wined3d/index.frag 4.8] <small>Windows</small>
 +
|DirectX 1-7
 +
|OpenGL
 
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|Direct3D 10 & 11
 
|Vulkan
 
|-
 
|[https://github.com/KhronosGroup/MoltenVK MoltenVK]
 
|macOS, iOS
 
|[https://github.com/KhronosGroup/MoltenVK/releases 1.0.31]
 
|{{✓}} ||?
 
|Vulkan
 
|Metal
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[http://dege.freeweb.hu/ dgVoodoo 2]
 
|[http://dege.freeweb.hu/ dgVoodoo 2]
 
|Windows
 
|Windows
|[http://dege.freeweb.hu/dgVoodoo2/dgVoodoo2.html 2.55.4]
+
|[http://dege.freeweb.hu/dgVoodoo2/dgVoodoo2.html 2.6]
|{{✓}} ||?
+
|Glide, DirectX 1-9
|DirectX 1-7, Direct3D 8.1, Glide
 
 
|Direct3D 11
 
|Direct3D 11
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 
|-
 
|-
|[https://github.com/disks86/VK9 VK9]
+
|[https://www.dxgl.org/ DXGL]
|Windows, Linux
+
|Windows
|[https://github.com/disks86/VK9/releases 0.29.0]
+
|[https://www.dxgl.org/downloads/ 0.5.16]
|{{✓}} ||?
+
|DirectX 1-7
|Direct3D 9
+
|OpenGL
|Vulkan
+
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} <small>WIP</small>
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[http://www.glidos.net/ Glidos]
 
|[http://www.glidos.net/ Glidos]
 
|Windows
 
|Windows
 
|[http://www.glidos.net/download.html 1.53b]
 
|[http://www.glidos.net/download.html 1.53b]
 +
|Glide <small>(DOS)</small>
 +
|?
 
|{{✗}} ||?
 
|{{✗}} ||?
|Glide (DOS games)
 
|?
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[http://openglide.sourceforge.net/ OpenGlide]
 
|[http://openglide.sourceforge.net/ OpenGlide]
 
|Windows
 
|Windows
 
|[https://sourceforge.net/projects/openglide/files/latest/download 0.09 Alpha]
 
|[https://sourceforge.net/projects/openglide/files/latest/download 0.09 Alpha]
|{{✗}} ||?
 
 
|Glide
 
|Glide
 
|OpenGL
 
|OpenGL
 +
|{{✗}} ||?
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[https://sourceforge.net/projects/psvoodoo/ psVoodoo]
 
|[https://sourceforge.net/projects/psvoodoo/ psVoodoo]
 
|Windows
 
|Windows
 
|[https://sourceforge.net/projects/psvoodoo/files/latest/download 0.13]
 
|[https://sourceforge.net/projects/psvoodoo/files/latest/download 0.13]
 +
|Glide
 +
|Direct3D 9
 
|{{✗}} ||?
 
|{{✗}} ||?
|Glide
+
|-
 +
! colspan="7"|2000's and later APIs
 +
|-
 +
|[https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk DXVK]
 +
|Linux
 +
|[https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk/releases 1.2]
 +
|Direct3D 10-11
 +
|Vulkan
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 +
|-
 +
|[[Wine|Wine Direct3D]]
 +
|Windows, Linux, macOS
 +
|[https://wiki.winehq.org/Download {{WineVer}}] <small>(Linux, macOS)</small><br /> [https://fdossena.com/?p=wined3d/index.frag 4.8]  <small>Windows</small>
 +
|Direct3D 1-11
 +
|OpenGL
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 +
|-
 +
|[https://github.com/Joshua-Ashton/d9vk D9VK]
 +
|Linux
 +
|[https://github.com/Joshua-Ashton/d9vk Git]
 +
|Direct3D 9
 +
|Vulkan
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{~}} <small>WIP</small>
 +
|-
 +
|[https://github.com/iXit/wine-nine-standalone Gallium Nine]
 +
|Linux
 +
|[https://github.com/iXit/wine-nine-standalone 0.4]
 +
|Direct3D 9
 +
|Native
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{~}} <small>WIP</small>
 +
|-
 +
|[https://source.winehq.org/git/vkd3d.git/ vkd3d]
 +
|Linux
 +
|[https://source.winehq.org/git/vkd3d.git/ 1.1]
 +
|Direct3D 12
 +
|Vulkan
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} <small>WIP</small>
 +
|-
 +
|[https://github.com/KhronosGroup/MoltenVK MoltenVK]
 +
|macOS, iOS
 +
|[https://github.com/KhronosGroup/MoltenVK/releases 1.0.33]
 +
|Vulkan
 +
|Metal
 +
|{{✓}} ||?
 +
|-
 +
|[https://github.com/Joshua-Ashton/dxup DXUP]
 +
|Windows, Linux
 +
|[https://github.com/Joshua-Ashton/dxup Git]
 +
|Direct3D 9-10
 +
|Direct3D 11
 +
|{{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
 +
|-
 +
|[https://github.com/disks86/VK9 VK9]
 +
|Windows, Linux
 +
|[https://github.com/disks86/VK9/releases 0.29.0]
 
|Direct3D 9
 
|Direct3D 9
 +
|Vulkan
 +
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
 +
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
 +
===Comparisons===
 +
* [http://www.zeus-software.com/downloads/nglide nGlide] is a 3Dfx Voodoo Glide wrapper. It allows you to play games designed for 3Dfx Glide API without the need for having 3Dfx Voodoo graphics card. All three API versions are supported, Glide 2.11, Glide 2.60 and Glide 3.10. nGlide emulates Glide environment with Direct3D 9 and version 2.0 implemented Vulkan support, which also makes it work under Linux using [[Wine]] Staging 2.10.0 or newer.<ref name="nglidevulkan">http://www.zeus-software.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2044</ref> Glide wrapper also supports high resolution modes. This is currently the best Glide wrapper. Has a [http://www.zeus-software.com/downloads/nglide/compatibility compatibility list].
 +
 +
* [http://dege.freeweb.hu/ dgVoodoo 2] is a closed-source wrapper for old graphics API's for Windows. The API's it currently can wrap are: Glide 2.11, Glide 2.45, Glide 3.1, Glide 3.1 Napalm, DirectX 1-7 (all versions of DirectDraw and Direct3D up to version 7), Direct3D 8.1 and Direct3D 9. This wrapper can use Direct3D 11 with different device types as wrapping output such as hardware or software rendering.
  
===Comparisons===
+
* [[Wine]] has an internal graphics API wrapper for Direct3D 1-11 using OpenGL. It works mostly well for older games, but is slower and has more bugs than newer wrappers using Vulkan, such as DXVK. It is possible to use Wine's wrapper in Windows using different forks.
* [http://www.zeus-software.com/downloads/nglide nGlide] is a 3Dfx Voodoo Glide wrapper. It allows you to play games designed for 3Dfx Glide API without the need for having 3Dfx Voodoo graphics card. All three API versions are supported, Glide 2.11, Glide 2.60 and Glide 3.10. nGlide emulates Glide environment with Direct3D 9 and version 2.0 implemented Vulkan support, which also makes it work under Linux using [[Wine]] Staging 2.10.0 or newer.<ref name="nglidevulkan">http://www.zeus-software.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2044</ref> Glide wrapper also supports high resolution modes. Has a [http://www.zeus-software.com/downloads/nglide/compatibility compatibility list].
 
  
* [http://dege.freeweb.hu/ dgVoodoo 2] is a wrapper for old graphics API's for Windows Vista/7/8/10. The API's it currently can wrap are: Glide 2.11, Glide 2.45, Glide 3.1, Glide 3.1 Napalm, DirectX 1-7 (all versions of DirectDraw and Direct3D up to version 7) and Direct3D 8.1. This wrapper can use Direct3D 11 with different device types as wrapping output such as hardware or software rendering.
+
* [https://source.winehq.org/git/vkd3d.git/ vkd3d] is an internal Wine wrapper for Direct3D 12 to Vulkan translation. Sponsored by Valve. Currently a work in progress.
  
 
* [https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk DXVK] is a Vulkan-based translation layer for Direct3D 10 & 11, which allows running Windows 3D applications on Linux using [[Wine]].
 
* [https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk DXVK] is a Vulkan-based translation layer for Direct3D 10 & 11, which allows running Windows 3D applications on Linux using [[Wine]].
 +
 +
* [https://github.com/Joshua-Ashton/d9vk D9VK] is a  Direct3D 9 to Vulkan translation layer based off DXVK's codebase. Will be merged into DXVK if it matures enough <ref name="d9vktodxvk">https://www.gamingonlinux.com/articles/dxvk-102-is-out-with-some-bug-fixes-d9vk-seems-to-be-progressing-nicely.13868/comment_id=151909</ref>.
  
 
* [https://github.com/disks86/VK9 VK9] runs Direct3D 9 applications on Windows or Linux (with [[Wine]]) over Vulkan.
 
* [https://github.com/disks86/VK9 VK9] runs Direct3D 9 applications on Windows or Linux (with [[Wine]]) over Vulkan.
 +
 +
* [https://www.dxgl.org/ DXGL] is a free replacement for the Windows ddraw.dll library, running on OpenGL. It is designed to overcome driver bugs, particularly in Windows Vista and newer operating systems. It also adds various enhancements to the graphics output such as display scaling and filtering options. DXGL supports the DirectX 7.0 graphics APIs, however it is currently under development and does not work with many programs.
 +
 +
==External links==
 +
[https://www.gamingonlinux.com/articles/dxvk-102-is-out-with-some-bug-fixes-d9vk-seems-to-be-progressing-nicely.13868/comment_id=151939 State of Direct3D 9-12 translation layers] by DXVK author YoRHa-2B (2019-04-02)
  
 
==References==
 
==References==

Revision as of 06:03, 9 July 2019

While not strictly emulation per se (hence why Wine stands for "Wine Is Not an Emulator"), compatibility layers allow software written for one operating system to run on a different OS, often by translating API and system calls made by an application to their equivalent calls in the host operating system. In theory, this should allow for near-native performance since no processor emulation takes place, but in practice some software such as games will tend to run a bit slower due to other bottlenecks that occur as a result of replicating the correct behavior, such as accounting for graphics APIs like Direct3D that aren't supported on non-Microsoft platforms. Additionally, compatibility layers may also use emulation in order to run software built for a different architecture.

Compatibility layers

Name Operating System(s) Latest Version Active Recommended Runs the following software
PC
Wine Linux, macOS 9.0 Windows applications and games
Proton Linux 8.0-5 Windows games
TeknoParrot Windows 1.0.0.140 Windows-based arcade games
Darling Linux Git (WIP) macOS software
WineVDM Windows v0.6.0 16-bit Windows apps and games
Wineskin macOS 1.7 Windows applications and games
WoW Windows ? Windows 9x apps and games
Win3mu Windows ? Windows 3.x apps and games
Ardi Executor Multi-platform 2.1.17 Classic Mac OS software up to System 6
Mobile
Wine Android 9.0 (WIP) Windows applications and games

Comparisons

  • Wine is a free and open-source compatibility layer that aims to allow computer programs (application software and computer games) developed for Microsoft Windows to run on Unix-like operating systems, primarily Linux and macOS. Since late 2017 there is also an experimental build for Android. Wine is almost as old as the Linux project, starting in the summer of 1993. Today it's widely used, very popular and sponsored by companies such as CodeWeavers and Valve. The core Wine development aims at a correct implementation of the Windows API as a whole. In this regard it's similar to the MAME project in its focus on correctness over usability. There are a lot of versions/forks of Wine which focus of different goals, such as usability, compatibility, gaming, office applications, etc. A few are listed below, Wikipedia has a more complete list.
    • Proton is Valves one-click solution to play Windows games on Linux. It's included in the Steam Linux client by default. Simply click on a whitelisted game and it will launch without any configuration, or enable it for all games in the settings. Proton is based on a fork of Wine in combination with other components such as DXVK (explained below) and FAudio.
    • Wineskin is an open-source compatibility layer which allows users to easily convert Windows software to macOS. The ports are in the form of Mac .app bundles with a self-contained Wine instance which are wrapped around the application to be converted.
  • TeknoParrot is a compatibility layer for Windows PCs to run games originally made for Windows-based arcade systems. Has since version 1.51 also support for some games from the Linux-based Sega Lindbergh arcade board.
  • Darling is a translation layer that allows you to run unmodified macOS binaries on Linux. In its nature, it is similar to the well-known Wine project. At this point, does not yet run macOS application with a GUI.

Graphics APIs

Compatibility layers may also make use of wrappers, which translate a specific graphics API to another. How the user sets up the wrapper varies between each project but most involve a drop-in replacement of the original libraries.

To understand why this is needed for older games, it's important to understand that during the 90s the graphics card market for IBM PCs and compatibles was in its infancy, and Direct3D wasn't an automatic choice for developers. Some games were often designed for 3Dfx's Glide API so that it would run with their Voodoo card. With 3dfx going bankrupt however, support for Glide didn't stay around and the API was made open-source, but NVIDIA and AMD never incorporated it into their drivers. A wrapper is now needed to play these games with hardware acceleration, or if we're lucky the game gets a port to other APIs instead.

Name Operating System(s) Latest Version Translates Into Active Recommended
90's APIs
nGlide Windows 2.10 Glide Vulkan, Direct3D 9
Wine DirectX Windows, Linux, macOS 9.0 (Linux, macOS)
4.8 Windows
DirectX 1-7 OpenGL
dgVoodoo 2 Windows 2.6 Glide, DirectX 1-9 Direct3D 11
DXGL Windows 0.5.16 DirectX 1-7 OpenGL WIP
Glidos Windows 1.53b Glide (DOS) ? ?
OpenGlide Windows 0.09 Alpha Glide OpenGL ?
psVoodoo Windows 0.13 Glide Direct3D 9 ?
2000's and later APIs
DXVK Linux 1.2 Direct3D 10-11 Vulkan
Wine Direct3D Windows, Linux, macOS 9.0 (Linux, macOS)
4.8 Windows
Direct3D 1-11 OpenGL
D9VK Linux Git Direct3D 9 Vulkan ~ WIP
Gallium Nine Linux 0.4 Direct3D 9 Native ~ WIP
vkd3d Linux 1.1 Direct3D 12 Vulkan WIP
MoltenVK macOS, iOS 1.0.33 Vulkan Metal ?
DXUP Windows, Linux Git Direct3D 9-10 Direct3D 11
VK9 Windows, Linux 0.29.0 Direct3D 9 Vulkan

Comparisons

  • nGlide is a 3Dfx Voodoo Glide wrapper. It allows you to play games designed for 3Dfx Glide API without the need for having 3Dfx Voodoo graphics card. All three API versions are supported, Glide 2.11, Glide 2.60 and Glide 3.10. nGlide emulates Glide environment with Direct3D 9 and version 2.0 implemented Vulkan support, which also makes it work under Linux using Wine Staging 2.10.0 or newer.[1] Glide wrapper also supports high resolution modes. This is currently the best Glide wrapper. Has a compatibility list.
  • dgVoodoo 2 is a closed-source wrapper for old graphics API's for Windows. The API's it currently can wrap are: Glide 2.11, Glide 2.45, Glide 3.1, Glide 3.1 Napalm, DirectX 1-7 (all versions of DirectDraw and Direct3D up to version 7), Direct3D 8.1 and Direct3D 9. This wrapper can use Direct3D 11 with different device types as wrapping output such as hardware or software rendering.
  • Wine has an internal graphics API wrapper for Direct3D 1-11 using OpenGL. It works mostly well for older games, but is slower and has more bugs than newer wrappers using Vulkan, such as DXVK. It is possible to use Wine's wrapper in Windows using different forks.
  • vkd3d is an internal Wine wrapper for Direct3D 12 to Vulkan translation. Sponsored by Valve. Currently a work in progress.
  • DXVK is a Vulkan-based translation layer for Direct3D 10 & 11, which allows running Windows 3D applications on Linux using Wine.
  • D9VK is a Direct3D 9 to Vulkan translation layer based off DXVK's codebase. Will be merged into DXVK if it matures enough [2].
  • VK9 runs Direct3D 9 applications on Windows or Linux (with Wine) over Vulkan.
  • DXGL is a free replacement for the Windows ddraw.dll library, running on OpenGL. It is designed to overcome driver bugs, particularly in Windows Vista and newer operating systems. It also adds various enhancements to the graphics output such as display scaling and filtering options. DXGL supports the DirectX 7.0 graphics APIs, however it is currently under development and does not work with many programs.

External links

State of Direct3D 9-12 translation layers by DXVK author YoRHa-2B (2019-04-02)

References