The problem with closed standards
Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2025 9:57 am
To understand the importance of swapping, let’s consider one of the key requirements of the Metaverse: rendering on the local device.
All of the operating systems that need to use video games on consoles have chosen not to support a collection of open or third-party rendering APIs, such as OpenGL or WebGL. Microsoft Xbox uses Microsoft's DirectX exclusively, while Sony uses its GNMX for PlayStation. Mobile devices generally support multiple standards, but they often restrict or completely block access to other drivers, which helps push developers to use their proprietary products. PCs and Macs are more open, but they are optimized separately for Microsoft's DirectX and Apple's Metal APIs, so developers' software needs to be written specifically for each platform's "standard." Fortnite saudi arabia mobile database on Xbox requires Microsoft's DirectX, PlayStation requires Sony's GNMX, Nintendo Switch requires Nvidia's NVM, and iOS requires Apple's Metal. Only Google's Android has built its solution around OpenGL, but Google's dominance in Chrome and Chromium controls these web standards.
GPUs also have their own flavor of these protocols. Nvidia's driver is actually a "platform" that developers can use to access a PC user's hardware, working in conjunction with Microsoft's DirectX for rendering.
This fragmentation has many advantages. The resulting competition leads to better pricing, more innovation, more investment, and more—all of which benefit developers and end users. Of course, these benefits are not unique to the computing industry, and competition is almost always the most efficient market mechanism.
All of the operating systems that need to use video games on consoles have chosen not to support a collection of open or third-party rendering APIs, such as OpenGL or WebGL. Microsoft Xbox uses Microsoft's DirectX exclusively, while Sony uses its GNMX for PlayStation. Mobile devices generally support multiple standards, but they often restrict or completely block access to other drivers, which helps push developers to use their proprietary products. PCs and Macs are more open, but they are optimized separately for Microsoft's DirectX and Apple's Metal APIs, so developers' software needs to be written specifically for each platform's "standard." Fortnite saudi arabia mobile database on Xbox requires Microsoft's DirectX, PlayStation requires Sony's GNMX, Nintendo Switch requires Nvidia's NVM, and iOS requires Apple's Metal. Only Google's Android has built its solution around OpenGL, but Google's dominance in Chrome and Chromium controls these web standards.
GPUs also have their own flavor of these protocols. Nvidia's driver is actually a "platform" that developers can use to access a PC user's hardware, working in conjunction with Microsoft's DirectX for rendering.
This fragmentation has many advantages. The resulting competition leads to better pricing, more innovation, more investment, and more—all of which benefit developers and end users. Of course, these benefits are not unique to the computing industry, and competition is almost always the most efficient market mechanism.