# Install molten-vk with Homebrew Implementation of the Vulkan graphics and compute API on top of Metal. Version 1.4.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:molten-vk ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install molten-vk ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:molten-vk - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 1.4.1 - **Source summary:** Implementation of the Vulkan graphics and compute API on top of Metal - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** Apache-2.0 - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - MoltenVKShaderConverter (cli) - MoltenVKShaderConverter (alias) ## Build dependencies - cmake ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 1.4.1 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/KhronosGroup/MoltenVK - Upstream latest detected: v1.4.1 (current) - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. ## Project history and usage MoltenVK began at The Brenwill Workshop Ltd. as a commercial portability layer for running Vulkan graphics code on Apple's Metal framework. Brenwill announced the product in July 2016 for iOS and macOS, with Bill Hollings presenting it around SIGGRAPH as a way for game developers to keep Vulkan-style rendering paths while targeting Apple platforms. ### Project history Its major ecosystem turn came on February 26, 2018, when Khronos announced the Vulkan Portability Initiative with Valve, LunarG, and The Brenwill Workshop. That announcement released MoltenVK as open source under Khronos stewardship, described it as translating the portable Vulkan subset to Metal on macOS and iOS, and tied it to the macOS Vulkan SDK work. Valve's Dota 2 port was used as an early production example of the value of the stack. ### Adoption history In practice MoltenVK is linked into games, emulators, engines, and graphics applications that already speak Vulkan and need Apple-platform deployment without rewriting their renderer around Metal. Its repository describes a layered Vulkan 1.4 implementation over Metal for macOS, iOS, tvOS, visionOS, simulators, Mac Catalyst, and Apple Silicon, with automatic SPIR-V to Metal Shading Language conversion and a standalone MoltenVKShaderConverter tool. Khronos material lists users and adjacent projects including Dota 2, Metro Exodus, Final Fantasy XIV, DXVK, VKD3D, Google Android Emulator, Dolphin, Autodesk Fusion 360, Google Filament, and other engines and games. ### How it is used As a Homebrew package, molten-vk occupies a developer-tool niche rather than a command-heavy CLI niche: it ships the runtime and shader-conversion tooling for local Vulkan-on-Apple builds. It sits beside the Vulkan SDK and portability-layer ecosystem rather than replacing native Vulkan drivers. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** molten-vk - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Requirements:** macos, xcode - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [cmake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [mesa](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mesa/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [mpv](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mpv/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [ncnn](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ncnn/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [ppsspp](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ppsspp/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [vulkan-tools](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/vulkan-tools/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [flank](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/flank/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, ios, testing. - [abnfgen](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/abnfgen/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, testing. - [allure](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/allure/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, testing. - [artillery](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/artillery/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, testing. - [buildpulse-test-reporter](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/buildpulse-test-reporter/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, testing. - [busted](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/busted/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, testing. - [bzt](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bzt/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, testing. - [cargo-fuzz](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cargo-fuzz/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, testing. - [fake-gcs-server](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fake-gcs-server/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: api, cli, developer, developer-tools, testing. - [h2spec](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/h2spec/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, developer, developer-tools, implementation, testing. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/molten-vk.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/molten-vk.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - cross-ecosystem install command graph