Zippy Wizard: Dota 2 Beta Adds Vulkan Support

Vulkan is the new big exciting Thing That Might Make Your Games Run Faster Without You Having To Buy A New Graphics Card Or Anything, Jeremy recently explained in slightly more technical detail, and now Dota 2 [official site] supports the new graphics API too. In beta. And it might not make a difference for you. Or may be worse. If you want to be on the bleeding edge of technology (a phrase which always makes me think of eXistenZ and meatcomputers), you can now download and try Dota 2's Vulkan beta.

In my own wildly scientific studies (keeping an eye on the FPS counter during a certain section of a replay), my FPS seems maybe a touch higher but the interface flickers in and out of existence a fair bit and that's no good. I won't be using the Vulkan version until it's properly ready. But some folks are reporting it runs fine and far faster for them. Others are saying it runs slower on their system. This is in beta, yeah?

If you want to see for yourself, check Valve's post for system requirements and instructions. Oh, and don't be instantly put off if it seems wonky. As Valve explain:

"The first time you run with Vulkan you may experience short stutters while the engine caches shaders on disk. After playing through or watching a match, these stutters should go away."

(Yes, I did watch a match before engaging in science.)

If you've had a go with the Vulkan beta, did you have better luck than me?