> But that low level access means that software is tied to hardware... and software is not forward/cross compatible. Which is a VERY big deal for pro market. A

> But that low level access means that software is tied to hardware... and software is not forward/cross compatible. Which is a VERY big deal for pro market. As a game dev - hardware dependence has been a fact of life for a very long time. There are too many useful extensions not included in the base profiles, and enough video cards combinatorically combined with those - that the most tractable path is to actually care about the specific device's capabilities. The best way forward is to be as detailed as possible than to come up with a new albatross to hang around one's neck for the next 30 years. A thin driver with a fatter app stack is probably more manageable going forward than a very fat driver with a continually aging app stack, so long as appropriate care is paid to forward compatibility.