In a major shift for Linux graphics users, AMD has announced that it is discontinuing the AMDVLK open-source project and moving all support behind the Mesa-based RADV, a userspace driver that implements the Vulkan API on most modern AMD GPUs.
The decision is part of AMD’s effort to simplify its Linux Vulkan strategy and focus resources on a single, high-performance codebase. According to the company, by backing RADV as the officially supported open-source Vulkan driver for Radeon GPUs, AMD aims to strengthen long-term development and ensure more consistent improvements for Linux gamers and developers.
“This consolidation allows us to focus our resources on a single, high-performance codebase that benefits from the incredible work of the entire open-source community.”
As you know, for years, Linux users have had two main options for AMD Vulkan support: AMDVLK, maintained directly by AMD, and RADV, developed as part of Mesa with strong contributions from the wider open-source community.
In practice, RADV has grown to be the more widely adopted driver, gaining a reputation for rapid feature adoption and competitive gaming performance.
With AMDVLK now retired, developers and users are encouraged to move to RADV, which remains actively maintained in the Mesa GitLab repository. Documentation and contribution guidelines are available through the Mesa project’s official pages.
The decision effectively ends the dual-driver era for AMD Vulkan on Linux, marking RADV as the go-to solution moving forward. Expectations are that, for users, this should mean less confusion and a clearer path for updates and optimizations on AMD’s GPU hardware.
excellent to hear!