Valheim: How to Enable Vulkan API (& What It's For)

Ever since Valheim launched into Early Access, fans have been clamouring for a way to improve FPS performance. Luckily, the game has just been given support from Khronos Group’s Vulkan API, giving a significant performance boost for players. Here’s how to enable Vulkan API.

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How to Enable Vulkan API in Valheim

To turn on Vulkan API in Valheim you’ll first need to open Steam. Head to your library and right click on Valheim. Select ‘Properties’ and make sure you are in the ‘General’ tab. You should see a box labelled ‘Launch Options’, go ahead and type ‘-forcevulkan’ into this box. Launch Valheim and you are all good to go!

You should be able to see the process in action in the image above. It’s super simple now that Valheim is supported by Vulkan API. If you’re looking to make your experience even better, head on over to our Valheim Mods Guide.

What is Vulkan?

Vulkan is a tool created by Khronos Group, which essentially allows you to better manage a game’s performance, by optimising its CPU and GPU usage. While playing a Vulkan supported game, you can just use the method outlined in this guide to run Vulkan. You won’t need to do anything else, just run the game and reap the benefits. For more tips on boosting your FPS while playing, head to our guide on Optimising Valheim.

Valheim Vulkan Differences: Should You Use It?

Vulkan will essentially boost performance in Valheim once you’ve enabled it. You’ll see fewer frame drops, as well as some benefits to preventing certain crashes and bugs. We’ve used it a fair bit and found the experience to be much smoother. It’s exact effect will depend on your current setup however, so results may vary.

That’s all you need to know about enabling Vulkan in Valheim. For more on the game be sure to check out the rest of our Valheim guides.