The Khronos Group has announced the release of the OpenGL 4.1 specification, the latest iteration of its cross-platform 2D and 3D graphics API (application programming interface).

 

Some of the new functions in the core OpenGL 4.1 specification includes, full compatibility with OpenGL ES 2.0 APIs to allow for easier porting between mobile and desktop platforms, the ability to bind programs individually to programmable stages for programming flexibility and multiple viewports for a rendering surface for increased rendering flexibility.

 

“The release of OpenGL 4.1 just five months after OpenGL 4.0 shows that collaborative innovation to build market opportunities for high-performance GPU acceleration is not slowing down. The ARB [Architecture Review Board] is also working hard to ensure backwards compatibility with each release so developers can absorb new functionality at their own pace,” said Barthold Lichtenbelt, OpenGL ARB working group chair and senior manager Core OpenGL at NVIDIA. “I am also pleased to announce that NVIDIA will release OpenGL 4.1 production drivers on our developer site for all Fermi-based graphics accelerators, including the GeForce GTX 400 series, during SIGGRAPH. OpenGL 4.1 is not just a specification – it’s here and now.”

 

This new version sports full backwards compatibility and allows developers to access the latest GPU functionality across a range of operating systems and device platforms.