OpenGL 4.1 spec finalized, streamlines 3D graphics for web and phones

Only four months after OpenGL 4.0 hit the scene, the next revision of the cross-platform graphics API is here, bearing gifts of fancier math and more cribbed DirectX 11 features. Unless you're a graphics guru, though, we doubt you'll be that interested in "64-bit floating-point component vertex shader inputs," so let's get to the meat of what you're after: impressive 3D gaming. OpenGL 4.1 promises to help deliver that to cellphones easier than ever before, by making OpenGL ES (used in iOS and Android, depending on your hardware) completely compatible with the desktop graphics version, and promises "features to improve robustness" in WebGL 3D browser acceleration as well. There's also support for stencil values in fragment shaders, but we digress -- if you understood what we just said, hit up the source and more coverage links for the rest.

[davidmaxwaterman Posted Jul 27th 2010 10:04AM]

@rowehc

Almost every smart phone out there uses OpenGL ES, and has done for many years (I worked on an app that used it about 4 years ago).
Even the old S60 2nd edition used it. The Nokia N93 and N95 (S60 3rd) had hardware acceleration, but it was available in s/w form before even then. I don't know why they singled out iOS and Android - probably trying to be trendy.

[eberan Posted Jul 26th 2010 10:05PM]

This is a great step forward as a developer, we don't have to use ati/powervr/apple GLES2 wrappers any more. However it's a shame the didn't add or encourage support for EGL in the spec (yes yes I know it doesn't *really* belong there but it would still be nice ;)

[NuShrike Posted Jul 26th 2010 11:35PM]

@eberan Considering the ATI/AMD wrappers have been dead for almost 2 years now (and I've tried recently to use that buggy arse), It's a welcome update to almost a decade of WGL, AGL, EGL divergence.

[Goc Posted Jul 26th 2010 10:06PM]

OpenGL ES is used in every mobile OS that isn't made by Microsoft.

[christexaport Posted Jul 27th 2010 10:48AM]

When will Engadget stop showing favor and bias to iOS and Android??

OpenGL has been used in Symbian for years. And Symbian is the largest, most advance, and original smartphone OS. But you chose to mention the supposedly more buzzworthy OSes over the most popular. This sort of expected behavior ruins your credibility, and makes it seem like you are attempting to skew the mindshare of the public.

Be better journalists. If you had to mention OSes, at least include ALL those able to run OpenGL. You guys really have to exercise responsibility, and make a concerted effort to NOT focus on a small slice of the tech market.

iOS and Android have experienced massive growth recently. However, by only mentioning these two, and rarely or never mentioning Symbian or any other popular OSes in this or other posts, you create the illusion of irrelevance, steer the consumer without fully informing them, and ignore the fact that Symbian implemented this type of technology into their platform many years ago.

My N95 was OpenGL compliant, and for once, I think you need to be more even in referencing platforms. Otherwise, you become a worthless shill, and appear to not know quite as much as an informed consumer would expect from the largest tech blog online.

I'm getting sick of having to put you irresponsible writers in check, and defend the technical merits of more advanced OSes. This is akin to racism, like always mentioning the White Harvard professor as the inventor of heart surgery techniques instead of the Black assistant that actually did the work.

Tell the entire story, not just the popular one.Just tell the news, and if you feel the need to mention one or more, just list the OSes supporting your story starting with the top few with the most market share, or list ALL of the OSes support it. There aren't that many OSes that you'd have to work harder.

Journalism 101, not marketing 101, guys...