POWERVR SDK

Build better applications faster, with our groundbreaking development kit

Built from the ground up,
to be everything developers need

The PowerVR SDK is built from the ground up to be everything developers need to start creating applications for PowerVR hardware. With well-documented code examples for iOS, macOS®, Linux®, Windows®, WebGL™, and Android™, our SDK is made to allow you to develop a wide range of applications across a variety of platforms. We also have comprehensive documentation, meaning you can learn all the tips and tricks needed to expand your knowledge and build the best graphics applications.

Also taking centre stage is our PowerVR Framework, optimised for PowerVR hardware, which allows you to code more efficiently for popular APIs such as Vulkan® and OpenGL® ES, meaning you can spend less time doing boilerplate setup, and more time writing code that matters.

Experience easier app development with the PowerVR Framework

The PowerVR Framework makes it much easier for you to get started and/or code more efficiently with both Vulkan and OpenGL ES.

Vulkan Wrappers
Lose the boilerplate code, and gain powerful C++ features such as smart pointers with our thin Vulkan wrapper, giving you more direct control over the hardware without the overhead.

Vulkan Helpers
Our handy utilities make tasks such as initialising objects, managing queues, and surface handling so much more straightforward than raw Vulkan.

OpenGL ES
We give you the tools you need directly on top of OpenGL ES, allowing you to keep full control by using raw OpenGL ES code.

Get practical with our examples

Whether you’re a complete beginner or already experienced in Vulkan, you will find our step-by-step tutorial style examples very handy. We gradually guide even the most inexperienced graphics developers from the basics of a simple render of a single triangle, up to complex scenes that incorporate many objects, animations and shader effects.

  • Get one of the best introductions to raw Vulkan with our beginner example HelloAPI
  • Use our Framework examples as a starting point for your own applications
  • Find out how to implement exciting new graphics techniques such as Physically-Based Rendering (PBR)
  • All our examples are well-commented and self-explanatory

Get started

Get to know the basics including installation instructions, functionality explanations,
and some useful tips on how to get the most out of the application.