The Khronos Group has released version 4.1 of the OpenGL specification, bringing the very latest graphics functionality to the most advanced and widely adopted cross-platform 2D and 3D graphics API. OpenGL 4.1 is the sixth update to OpenGL specification in two years, continuing the rapid evolution of this royalty-free specification. This new version continues to maintain full backwards compatibility to enable developers to begin using new features whenever they choose, while portably accessing state-of-the-art GPU functionality across diverse operating systems and platforms.
The OpenGL 4.1 specification has been defined by the OpenGL ARB (Architecture Review Board) working group at Khronos, and includes the GLSL 4.10 update to the OpenGL shading language and is accompanied by a number of extensions introducing cutting-edge functionality to the OpenGL standard.
New functionality in the core OpenGL 4.1 specification includes full compatibility with OpenGL ES 2.0 APIs for easier porting between mobile and desktop platforms, as well as 64-bit floating-point component vertex shader inputs.
Alongside the release, Khronos has simultaneously made available a set of ARB extensions to enable as much OpenGL 4.1 core functionality as possible on previous generation GPU hardware, providing maximum flexibility and platform coverage for application developers.
Khronos has made the full specification available for download.
