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Thoughts on No Graphics API

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Thoughts on No Graphics API is a January 2026 corsix.org essay responding to Sebastian Aaltonen's No Graphics API proposal for a thinner GPU programming interface.

It asks what can still be removed, including a compute-only subset and whether helpers such as gpuHostToDevicePointer or gpuSubmit stay necessary. It then argues for additions such as multi-device support, memory pinning, and instruction-cache fences. Concern sections cover write-combining memory, deadlock risks across waiting command buffers, and leaving 32-bit programs behind.

Readers should already know modern GPU queues, memory mapping, and APIs such as Vulkan, DX12, or CUDA. The piece is commentary for advanced engine and driver-minded engineers.

It is a free HTML article that assumes you have read Aaltonen's original post and adds focused counterpoints.

It is useful when evaluating how minimal a next-generation graphics API can be without losing production requirements.