Hi,

We have made a beta version of Substance 3D Painter 2025 which is available via the application settings. This beta switches the main graphic API from OpenGL to Vulkan on both Windows and Linux, for both the viewport and when generating textures.

Note: the Mac OS version already uses the Metal graphics API, so there are no changes on this platform.

Why we made this beta

With this beta we hope to offer a preview of a long revision we have been working on for Substance 3D Painter with the goal of better performance with the application. This will also help us continue improving and offering new functionalities in the future.

As this is an ongoing process, we are looking for feedback regarding stability and general performance.

How to switch to the Vulkan beta

On Steam, when inside the Library tab, right-click on Substance 3D Painter 2025 and select Properties. Next click on Betas, then in the dropdown menu next to the Beta participation select "11.0.2 with Vulkan Backend".

You can revert this at any time by selecting the "None" option instead.

In case of issues

If you are having issues of any kind please share them in this new dedicated forum. We are hoping to hear more about which kind of GPU and drivers version you are using.

If you happen to crash or encounter a bug, you can also report it as usual via the crash report window or the Help menu within the application.

About Painter and project version

This beta is currently the same version as the official 11.0.2 version, with the exception of the graphics API change. Projects that are edited within this version can be safely re-opened in the regular one without issues.