[pixelHD]

I don't have the links with me, but I've read somewhere that this happens because Windows uses DirectX, whereas OS X uses OpenGL.

I assumed this is because Game Engines are built usually targeting Windows/DirectX. Some say that DirectX is more mature and powerful, although this might be subjective. And so the games perform better on Windows.

FYI, With the advent of Vulkan, maybe subjective opinion that DirectX is better than OpenGL dies down, as Vulkan is supposed to very good - kind of like a rewrite of OpenGL. And with DirectX 12 on Windows 10, Microsoft has done a lot of good stuff.

[shripadk]

Apple isn't using Vulkan. It has it's own Metal API: https://developer.apple.com/metal/

[Kristine1975]

Vulkan is still in development. It is based on the same concepts as Apple's Metal, AMD's Mantle and Microsoft's DX12, i.e. low-level access to the GPU.

[Narishma]

This particular game uses OpenGL on both Windows and OS X.

[douche]

If you don't have OpenGL drivers from your graphics card, I believe Windows still does OpenGL as a shim over DirectX.

[shmerl]

DX12 is drawn from the same source as Vulkan (i.e. Mantle), so they aren't very different. It's just a NIH tool from MS for lock-in purposes.

[pjmlp]

With the difference that I can use it today.

[shmerl]

Which is pointless if you are limited to a MS only walled garden. Also, rushing it out ahead just to be first isn't a plus if it has deficiencies that could be fixed before the release. Vulkan is developed with reasonable pace and it's good that they aren't trying to rush it out before it's ready.

[pjmlp]

Professional game developers don't have any issues with walled gardens.

That is how the industry has survived the 1983 crash due to race to bottom quality.

[shmerl]

> Professional game developers don't have any issues with walled gardens.

That's nonsense. Tell them that doing double work is a good thing (especially for the limited budget). No sane developer likes walled gardens and lock-in because it always translates in complications (not caused by real technical reasons), and doing the same work multiple times to address stupidity of vendors who push said lock-in.

> That is how the industry has survived

Saying that industry survives on lock-in is like saying that technology survives on the lack of progress. I.e. it's a completely backwards thinking.

[pjmlp]

It not non-sense at all.

It is how many in the industry make a living, by doing consulting as experts in porting games between platforms.

Arguing about the beauty of FOSS and OpenGL, and the dismay of them being ignored by professional game developers, only reveals lack of knowledge how the industry works.

Once upon a time I learned the hard way that being too focused on that, made me lose the picture how the inner workings of the industry are. Back when I still cared about game development and had the privilege to visit a few well known studios. One of them apparently owns a black console that is selling quite well.

Professional game developers don't care about FOSS, 3D standards or whatever.

The only thing that matters is getting their vision of game out in the hands of their fans, regardless of what the systems their fans might have available.

There are plenty of companies selling middleware and consulting services for porting activities.

Gate keepers help prevent a flood of low quality games and copy cats like the one that caused the 1983 crash.