• This repository contains Quake 3 Arena source code which can be built with modern versions of Visual Studio.
• Only Windows x64 platform is supported.
• I don't try to fix bugs inherited from the original Q3 source code distribution - in this regard the project is Q3-bugs-friendly. Still I fix things if new version of the compiler complains about something or if some functionality shows its age which leads to application instability.
• Some functionality related to ancient graphics hardware was removed. Also I removed compilation of qvm code to native instructions to simplify maintenance. This means all game code is run through QVM which is slower than native execution but fast enough for modern computers.
• No changes in terms of visual appearence or gameplay. Provided Vulkan backend is a safe measure in case of poor OpenGL support in the future (hopefully not). It produces the same pixels as OpenGL backend.

• Build visual-studio/quake3.sln solution.
• Copy quake3-ke.exe to your local Quake-III-Arena installation folder.
• To start the game from Visual Studio go to Debugging->Command Arguments in quake3 project's properties and specify command line in the form: +set fs_basepath <quake3/installation/directory>

Vulkan backend provides the same graphics features as original OpenGL-based one including customization via r_xxx cvars and debug visualization.

• r_renderAPI - 3D API to use. Requires vid_restart.

  • 0 - OpenGL
  • 1 - Vulkan
  • 2 - DX12 (if enabled, see below)

• r_twinMode - Debug feature to compare rendering output between OpenGL/Vulkan/DX12 APIs. Requires vid_restart.

• Q: How to start game with vulkan support? A: quake3-ke.exe +set r_renderAPI 1.
• Q: How to enable vulkan support from Q3 console? A: \r_renderAPI 1 then \vid_restart.
• Q: How to enable twin mode from Q3 console? A: \r_twinMode 1 or \r_twinMode 1 then \vid_restart.
• Q: How to check that Vulkan backend is really active? A: gfxinfo console command reports information about active rendering backend.