DirectX 11 versus OpenGL 4.0
OpenGL has long been considered a rival graphics API to Direct3D. OpenGL
supports platforms outside of Windows-based operating systems, such as Mac
computers, Linux OSs, Apple’s iPhone and iPad, Sony’s Playstation 3 (an
implementation at least), and a variety of mobile devices such as cell phones
and PDAs, along with other platforms. Although the native device creation of
OpenGL can differ from one platform to another, the rest of the API is
considered platform independent, not including the long history of hardware-
specific extensions and feature s from competing entities within the OpenGL
camp. DirectX, on the other hand, is available on the various Windows OSs and
the Xbox game consoles. To be considered DirectX 10 or 11 compatible,
hardware must adhere to a strict compatibility list, whereas prior to DirectX
10 this was not always the case. In the case of OpenGL this often led to vendor-
specific extensions that worked on limited hardware. Incompatibilities within
the hardware market caused rework when trying to achieve the same result on
all supported devices.
The whole Direct3D versus OpenGL debate can often seem like a religious one,
but the fact is that for many years OpenGL has lagged behind Direct3D.
Microsoft has done a great job evolving Direct3D and improving it throughout
the years, but OpenGL has only lagged behind, not keeping its promises as each
new version is released, and time and time again has suffered from the same
problems of yesteryear. When OpenGL 3.0 was first announced, it was thought
that OpenGL would finally move back into a position to rival Direct3D.
Unfortunately, the world of OpenGL has gone through its share of ups and
downs, both within the group behind it and with how the API stacked against
Direct3D, and Direct3D has continued to dominate.
OpenGL 4.0 catches up to many of the publicized features of DirectX 11, most
notably through the support of general-purpose computing using OpenCL and
tessellation, and is positioning itself to be a step closer to the promises that were
never delivered in the past, most notably with OpenGL 2.0 and OpenGL 3.0.
Although OpenGL is not out of the race yet, it unfortunately needs a lot of work
to not only truly rival DirectX but also to win back the hearts and minds of
many of us who turned to Direct3D once OpenGL’s faults became too
numerous. Even if the API catches up, the graphics API race is a lot like high
school where the popular kid wins the election.
What Is DirectX? 5