VK_EXT_shader_split_barrier

Other Extension Metadata

Last Modified Date

2026-05-08

Interactions and External Dependencies

• This extension provides API support for GLSL_EXT_split_barrier

Contributors

• Matthew Netsch, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
• Elina Kamenetskaya, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
• Wooyoung Kim, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
• John Li, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
• Jeff Bolz, Nvidia
• Ben Ashbaugh, Intel

Description

This extension splits OpControlBarrier by exposing two new barrier operations with SPV_EXT_split_barrier:

• OpControlBarrierArriveEXT - notifies that invocation has arrived here
• OpControlBarrierWaitEXT - waits on all invocations before proceeding execution

In the Vulkan context, this allows apps to synchronize Subgroup execution flow within a Workgroup without requiring all Subgroups to wait at the arrival condition before proceeding to execute independent work. It also permits synchronizing memory access like other control barriers.

New Structures

• Extending VkPhysicalDeviceFeatures2, VkDeviceCreateInfo:
  • VkPhysicalDeviceShaderSplitBarrierFeaturesEXT
• Extending VkPhysicalDeviceProperties2:
  • VkPhysicalDeviceShaderSplitBarrierPropertiesEXT

New Enum Constants

• VK_EXT_SHADER_SPLIT_BARRIER_EXTENSION_NAME
• VK_EXT_SHADER_SPLIT_BARRIER_SPEC_VERSION
• Extending VkStructureType:
  • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_SHADER_SPLIT_BARRIER_FEATURES_EXT
  • VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_PHYSICAL_DEVICE_SHADER_SPLIT_BARRIER_PROPERTIES_EXT

Version History

• Revision 1, 2026-05-08 (Matthew Netsch)
  • Initial version