Is this the first time we've heard about Vulcan running on the PS4? I know it was said to be capable of running it but I can't remember it being in any other game:

The return to DOOM in 2016 has been every bit as memorable as the original game was upon release way back in 1993.

 Developer id Software has successfully recaptured the gore-infused mayhem of the original DOOM, while also managing to open the gates of hell for a new generation of players.

With its passionate legion of fans clinging to every tidbit surrounding the studio’s next release, to say that DOOM was under the strain of high expectations would be an enormous understatement.

Fortunately, the game’s performance fits in well with id’s philosophy of high-tier performance and aesthetic allure, both of which are obviously at the top of the studio’s design goals.

DOOM’s performance across the board — on PC and on consoles — proves that id Software is still at the top of its game when it comes to game design and performance, something studio executive producer Marty Stratton accredits the game’s programmers for.

“Yeah, it’s hard [to optimise performance across platforms],” Stratton said during a video link Q&A at Melbourne’s ACMI, “and our programmers were the ones that did it. They would probably say it was even harder [laughs]. It’s one of those things that when you’re working it in … I mean, my whole career, our technology team has been [at the] top of the industry. I’ve worked at id or on id games almost my whole career so it’s probably something I’ve come to take for granted.”

Stratton says that the work put in to ensure a game like DOOM runs at optimal levels across platforms is “ridiculous”, and that while id Software is “primarily a PC development house”, they recognise the size and importance of the console market.

MORE: DOOM Classic Maps Location Guide

“We really think from a PC mindset, where we want to go with performance and graphics options and graphics quality. We have some hardcore ‘PC Master Racers’ [laughs] as they’re called, [and] I think [that] when you set the bar that high, it really becomes a challenge for the programmers [to focus] more on optimisation.”

Interestingly, Stratton said that often during development, the game wouldn’t even run on consoles because the team was so focused on PC optimisation.

“[As] you go through development — as we went through development — we spent a lot of time where the game [didn’t] even run on the consoles because [we’re] pushing the boundaries with how [we’re] creating art, and how [we’re] creating levels, and the AI [we’re] throwing on the string, sometimes it doesn’t even work.”

MORE: DOOM Multiplayer Tips: How To Dominate in Demonic Fashion

Stratton admitted that it’s “not the best way to develop [a] game”, but that it was how they did things at id.

“[It’s] a race to optimise,” he said. “[The programmers] did a tremendous job.”

DOOM’s consistent performance still has room for improvement, with upcoming updates to support the Vulkan API for PCs still high on the agenda. Stratton says that the consoles, particularly the PlayStation 4, allowed the game engine to be refined in a way that makes for an ‘exciting’ future.

“I am really excited about a lot of the things we have coming in the future,” Stratton said. “The way [the programmers] architected the engine for the consoles, particularly the PlayStation 4, it sets it up really well to be natively capable on the new Vulkan API for PCs, which is really going to expand the audience.

“When that comes out and those cards come out, with DOOM we have an upcoming release that will be Vulkan supported, it will make your game run really well on older-generation cards and at 200-plus frames a second on the higher-end stuff. And you know it runs really well, really smooth on the consoles on both sides. I’m really proud of our tech team.”

DOOM launched on May 13 to mostly positive reviews, with a Metacritic score hovering around 85 on PC. What did you think of DOOM?

http://fenixbazaar.com/ps4-helped-doom-engine/

I have DOOM 1993 on every platforms. SNES, Sega 32X, 3DO, PS1, PS3(It's in BFG edition) Sega Saturn, N64, GBA, Atari Jaguar & PC.

Bring on more vulkan. I like the concept of 1 api, that works on any OS.
(mac,linux,win7,win8, ect)

If PS4 being able to run vulkan can mean more of that comeing to the PC, then thats only a plus.

It's a good thing the consoles might use it as well. The problem remains the same problem that OpenGL faced though: Microsoft clinging to DX.

Vulkan can run on anything though.

smartphones & tablets as well as any PC OS.

I think the "want" to have easy ports availible on everything will win out.

We might see directx deminish in need&use, over time.

Vulkan as it stands should be the main API to go for since it aims to support as many platforms as possible, while DX only supports one OS and one other console (slightly), in the past DX was the main one to go for but since the tables have been swapped, it;s now time for a more open API to take charge.

DOOM running on a Titan X at 120 FoV with Vulkan:

DOOM running on a GTX 1080 with Vulkan:

Straight off the bat with a multiplat title does Vulkan show that it can work while with DX we've had baked port after port recently with that API. Ignoring VUlkan and focusing on DX 12 would be a mistake for the majority of devs out there, especially with all the other OS@s people still wish to and still use that aren't with 10.

Also shouldn't this be general since the article is talking more about the game, vulkan and PC along with the mention of PS4 at the end?, Vulkan isn't really something all that exclusive to a single system let alone a tid bit of news about it.

I don't see how vulkan will be better on ps4 than their own API, especially as games don't only run on graphics. You would still use the api for all other cases.

OpenGL could also run on anything and had very similiar features to DX11. But my guess is Microsoft pushed DX quite hard. With the current crop of consoles and Linux and Steam pushing Vulkan, Vulkan might fare a lot better (at least I hope).

I think the engine will be used in the Evil Within 2 next, i hope this will improve the performance this time around and we see more graphical showcase in 30fps

I don't think its that PS4 runs vulkan.... rather i think its that vulkan is very similar to PS4. So if you optimize for PS4 you are badicslly left with something that will fit in perfectly with vulkan.

I could be mistaken though.