VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR(3)

# VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR(3) Manual Page

## Name

VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR - Structure specifying parameters of a newly created swapchain object

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## C Specification

The `VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR` structure is defined as:

    // Provided by VK_KHR_swapchain
    typedef struct VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR {
        VkStructureType                  sType;
        const void*                      pNext;
        VkSwapchainCreateFlagsKHR        flags;
        VkSurfaceKHR                     surface;
        uint32_t                         minImageCount;
        VkFormat                         imageFormat;
        VkColorSpaceKHR                  imageColorSpace;
        VkExtent2D                       imageExtent;
        uint32_t                         imageArrayLayers;
        VkImageUsageFlags                imageUsage;
        VkSharingMode                    imageSharingMode;
        uint32_t                         queueFamilyIndexCount;
        const uint32_t*                  pQueueFamilyIndices;
        VkSurfaceTransformFlagBitsKHR    preTransform;
        VkCompositeAlphaFlagBitsKHR      compositeAlpha;
        VkPresentModeKHR                 presentMode;
        VkBool32                         clipped;
        VkSwapchainKHR                   oldSwapchain;
    } VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR;

## Members

- `sType` is a VkStructureType value identifying this structure.

- `pNext` is `NULL` or a pointer to a structure extending this structure.

- `flags` is a bitmask of VkSwapchainCreateFlagBitsKHR indicating parameters of the swapchain creation.

- `surface` is the surface onto which the swapchain will present images. If the creation succeeds, the swapchain becomes associated with `surface`.

- `minImageCount` is the minimum number of presentable images that the application needs. The implementation will either create the swapchain with at least that many images, or it will fail to create the swapchain.

- `imageFormat` is a VkFormat value specifying the format the swapchain image(s) will be created with.

- `imageColorSpace` is a VkColorSpaceKHR value specifying the way the swapchain interprets image data.

- `imageExtent` is the size (in pixels) of the swapchain image(s). The behavior is platform-dependent if the image extent does not match the surface’s `currentExtent` as returned by `vkGetPhysicalDeviceSurfaceCapabilitiesKHR`.

  Note | On some platforms, it is normal that `maxImageExtent` may become `(0, 0)`, for example when the window is minimized. In such a case, it is not possible to create a swapchain due to the Valid Usage requirements , unless scaling is selected through VkSwapchainPresentScalingCreateInfoKHR, if supported .

- `imageArrayLayers` is the number of views in a multiview/stereo surface. For non-stereoscopic-3D applications, this value is 1.

- `imageUsage` is a bitmask of VkImageUsageFlagBits describing the intended usage of the (acquired) swapchain images.

- `imageSharingMode` is the sharing mode used for the image(s) of the swapchain.

- `queueFamilyIndexCount` is the number of queue families having access to the image(s) of the swapchain when `imageSharingMode` is VK_SHARING_MODE_CONCURRENT.

- `pQueueFamilyIndices` is a pointer to an array of queue family indices having access to the images(s) of the swapchain when `imageSharingMode` is VK_SHARING_MODE_CONCURRENT.

- `preTransform` is a VkSurfaceTransformFlagBitsKHR value describing the transform, relative to the presentation engine’s natural orientation, applied to the image content prior to presentation. If it does not match the `currentTransform` value returned by `vkGetPhysicalDeviceSurfaceCapabilitiesKHR`, the presentation engine will transform the image content as part of the presentation operation.

- `compositeAlpha` is a VkCompositeAlphaFlagBitsKHR value indicating the alpha compositing mode to use when this surface is composited together with other surfaces on certain window systems.

- `presentMode` is the presentation mode the swapchain will use. A swapchain’s present mode determines how incoming present requests will be processed and queued internally.

- `clipped` specifies whether the Vulkan implementation is allowed to discard rendering operations that affect regions of the surface that are not visible.

  - If `clipped` is VK_TRUE, the presentable images associated with the swapchain may not own all of their pixels. Pixels in the presentable images that correspond to regions of the target surface obscured by another window on the desktop, or subject to some other clipping mechanism will have undefined content when read back. Fragment shaders may not execute for these pixels, and thus any side effects they would have had will not occur. Setting VK_TRUE does not guarantee any clipping will occur, but allows more efficient presentation methods to be used on some platforms.

  - If `clipped` is VK_FALSE, presentable images associated with the swapchain will own all of the pixels they contain.

    Note | Applications should set this value to VK_TRUE if they do not expect to read back the content of presentable images before presenting them or after reacquiring them, and if their fragment shaders do not have any side effects that require them to run for all pixels in the presentable image.

- `oldSwapchain` is VK_NULL_HANDLE, or the existing non-retired swapchain currently associated with `surface`. Providing a valid `oldSwapchain` may aid in the resource reuse, and also allows the application to still present any images that are already acquired from it.

## Description

Upon calling `vkCreateSwapchainKHR` with an `oldSwapchain` that is not VK_NULL_HANDLE, `oldSwapchain` is retired — even if creation of the new swapchain fails. The new swapchain is created in the non-retired state whether or not `oldSwapchain` is VK_NULL_HANDLE.

Upon calling `vkCreateSwapchainKHR` with an `oldSwapchain` that is not VK_NULL_HANDLE, any images from `oldSwapchain` that are not acquired by the application may be freed by the implementation, which may occur even if creation of the new swapchain fails. The application can destroy `oldSwapchain` to free all memory associated with `oldSwapchain`.

Note | Multiple retired swapchains can be associated with the same `VkSurfaceKHR` through multiple uses of `oldSwapchain` that outnumber calls to vkDestroySwapchainKHR. After `oldSwapchain` is retired, the application can pass to vkQueuePresentKHR any images it had already acquired from `oldSwapchain`. E.g., an application may present an image from the old swapchain before an image from the new swapchain is ready to be presented. As usual, vkQueuePresentKHR may fail if `oldSwapchain` has entered a state that causes VK_ERROR_OUT_OF_DATE_KHR to be returned. The application can continue to use a shared presentable image obtained from `oldSwapchain` until a presentable image is acquired from the new swapchain, as long as it has not entered a state that causes it to return VK_ERROR_OUT_OF_DATE_KHR.

Valid Usage

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-surface-01270
  `surface` must be a surface that is supported by the device as determined using vkGetPhysicalDeviceSurfaceSupportKHR

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-minImageCount-01272
  `minImageCount` must be less than or equal to the value returned in the `maxImageCount` member of the `VkSurfaceCapabilitiesKHR` structure returned by `vkGetPhysicalDeviceSurfaceCapabilitiesKHR` for the surface if the returned `maxImageCount` is not zero

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-swapchainMaintenance1-10155
  If the `swapchainMaintenance1` feature is not enabled, then the `pNext` chain must not include a VkSwapchainPresentModesCreateInfoKHR structure

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-presentMode-02839
  If `presentMode` is not VK_PRESENT_MODE_SHARED_DEMAND_REFRESH_KHR nor VK_PRESENT_MODE_SHARED_CONTINUOUS_REFRESH_KHR, then `minImageCount` must be greater than or equal to the value returned in the `minImageCount` member of the `VkSurfaceCapabilitiesKHR` structure returned by vkGetPhysicalDeviceSurfaceCapabilitiesKHR for the surface

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-minImageCount-01383
  `minImageCount` must be `1` if `presentMode` is either VK_PRESENT_MODE_SHARED_DEMAND_REFRESH_KHR or VK_PRESENT_MODE_SHARED_CONTINUOUS_REFRESH_KHR

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-imageFormat-01273
  `imageFormat` and `imageColorSpace` must match the `format` and `colorSpace` members, respectively, of one of the `VkSurfaceFormatKHR` structures returned by `vkGetPhysicalDeviceSurfaceFormatsKHR` for the surface

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-pNext-07781
  If a VkSwapchainPresentScalingCreateInfoKHR structure was not included in the `pNext` chain, or it is included and VkSwapchainPresentScalingCreateInfoKHR::`scalingBehavior` is zero then `imageExtent` must be between `minImageExtent` and `maxImageExtent`, inclusive, where `minImageExtent` and `maxImageExtent` are members of the `VkSurfaceCapabilitiesKHR` structure returned by `vkGetPhysicalDeviceSurfaceCapabilitiesKHR` for the surface

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-pNext-07782
  If a VkSwapchainPresentScalingCreateInfoKHR structure was included in the `pNext` chain and VkSwapchainPresentScalingCreateInfoKHR::`scalingBehavior` is not zero then `imageExtent` must be between `minScaledImageExtent` and `maxScaledImageExtent`, inclusive, where `minScaledImageExtent` and `maxScaledImageExtent` are members of the `VkSurfacePresentScalingCapabilitiesKHR` structure returned by `vkGetPhysicalDeviceSurfaceCapabilities2KHR` for the surface and `presentMode`

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-swapchainMaintenance1-10157
  If the `swapchainMaintenance1` feature is not enabled, then `flags` must not include VK_SWAPCHAIN_CREATE_DEFERRED_MEMORY_ALLOCATION_BIT_KHR

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-imageExtent-01689
  `imageExtent` members `width` and `height` must both be non-zero

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-imageArrayLayers-01275
  `imageArrayLayers` must be greater than `0` and less than or equal to the `maxImageArrayLayers` member of the `VkSurfaceCapabilitiesKHR` structure returned by `vkGetPhysicalDeviceSurfaceCapabilitiesKHR` for the surface

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-presentMode-01427
  If `presentMode` is VK_PRESENT_MODE_FIFO_LATEST_READY_KHR, VK_PRESENT_MODE_IMMEDIATE_KHR, VK_PRESENT_MODE_MAILBOX_KHR, VK_PRESENT_MODE_FIFO_KHR or VK_PRESENT_MODE_FIFO_RELAXED_KHR, `imageUsage` must be a subset of the supported usage flags present in the `supportedUsageFlags` member of the VkSurfaceCapabilitiesKHR structure returned by vkGetPhysicalDeviceSurfaceCapabilitiesKHR for `surface`

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-imageUsage-01384
  If `presentMode` is VK_PRESENT_MODE_SHARED_DEMAND_REFRESH_KHR or VK_PRESENT_MODE_SHARED_CONTINUOUS_REFRESH_KHR, `imageUsage` must be a subset of the supported usage flags present in the `sharedPresentSupportedUsageFlags` member of the VkSharedPresentSurfaceCapabilitiesKHR structure returned by vkGetPhysicalDeviceSurfaceCapabilities2KHR for `surface`

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-imageSharingMode-01277
  If `imageSharingMode` is VK_SHARING_MODE_CONCURRENT, `pQueueFamilyIndices` must be a valid pointer to an array of `queueFamilyIndexCount` `uint32_t` values

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-imageSharingMode-01278
  If `imageSharingMode` is VK_SHARING_MODE_CONCURRENT, `queueFamilyIndexCount` must be greater than `1`

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-imageSharingMode-01428
  If `imageSharingMode` is VK_SHARING_MODE_CONCURRENT, each element of `pQueueFamilyIndices` must be unique and must be less than `pQueueFamilyPropertyCount` returned by either vkGetPhysicalDeviceQueueFamilyProperties or vkGetPhysicalDeviceQueueFamilyProperties2 for the `physicalDevice` that was used to create `device`

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-preTransform-01279
  `preTransform` must be one of the bits present in the `supportedTransforms` member of the `VkSurfaceCapabilitiesKHR` structure returned by `vkGetPhysicalDeviceSurfaceCapabilitiesKHR` for the surface

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-compositeAlpha-01280
  `compositeAlpha` must be one of the bits present in the `supportedCompositeAlpha` member of the `VkSurfaceCapabilitiesKHR` structure returned by `vkGetPhysicalDeviceSurfaceCapabilitiesKHR` for the surface

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-presentMode-01281
  `presentMode` must be one of the VkPresentModeKHR values returned by `vkGetPhysicalDeviceSurfacePresentModesKHR` for the surface

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-presentModeFifoLatestReady-10161
  If the `presentModeFifoLatestReady` feature is not enabled, `presentMode` must not be VK_PRESENT_MODE_FIFO_LATEST_READY_KHR

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-physicalDeviceCount-01429
  If the logical device was created with VkDeviceGroupDeviceCreateInfo::`physicalDeviceCount` equal to 1, `flags` must not contain VK_SWAPCHAIN_CREATE_SPLIT_INSTANCE_BIND_REGIONS_BIT_KHR

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-oldSwapchain-01933
  If `oldSwapchain` is not VK_NULL_HANDLE, `oldSwapchain` must be a non-retired swapchain associated with native window referred to by `surface`

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-imageFormat-01778
  The implied image creation parameters of the swapchain must be supported as reported by vkGetPhysicalDeviceImageFormatProperties

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-flags-03168
  If `flags` contains VK_SWAPCHAIN_CREATE_MUTABLE_FORMAT_BIT_KHR then the `pNext` chain must include a VkImageFormatListCreateInfo structure with a `viewFormatCount` greater than zero and `pViewFormats` must have an element equal to `imageFormat`

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-pNext-04099
  If a VkImageFormatListCreateInfo structure was included in the `pNext` chain and VkImageFormatListCreateInfo::`viewFormatCount` is not zero then all of the formats in VkImageFormatListCreateInfo::`pViewFormats` must be compatible with the `format` as described in the compatibility table

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-flags-04100
  If `flags` does not contain VK_SWAPCHAIN_CREATE_MUTABLE_FORMAT_BIT_KHR and the `pNext` chain include a VkImageFormatListCreateInfo structure then VkImageFormatListCreateInfo::`viewFormatCount` must be `0` or `1`

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-flags-03187
  If `flags` contains VK_SWAPCHAIN_CREATE_PROTECTED_BIT_KHR, then `VkSurfaceProtectedCapabilitiesKHR`::`supportsProtected` must be VK_TRUE in the VkSurfaceProtectedCapabilitiesKHR structure returned by vkGetPhysicalDeviceSurfaceCapabilities2KHR for `surface`

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-pNext-02679
  If the `pNext` chain includes a VkSurfaceFullScreenExclusiveInfoEXT structure with its `fullScreenExclusive` member set to VK_FULL_SCREEN_EXCLUSIVE_APPLICATION_CONTROLLED_EXT, and `surface` was created using vkCreateWin32SurfaceKHR, a VkSurfaceFullScreenExclusiveWin32InfoEXT structure must be included in the `pNext` chain

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-pNext-06752
  If the `imageCompressionControlSwapchain` feature is not enabled, the `pNext` chain must not include an VkImageCompressionControlEXT structure

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-presentTiming-12232
  If none of the `presentTiming`, `presentAtAbsoluteTime`, or `presentAtRelativeTime` features are enabled, `flags` must not contain VK_SWAPCHAIN_CREATE_PRESENT_TIMING_BIT_EXT

Valid Usage (Implicit)

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-sType-sType
  `sType` must be VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_SWAPCHAIN_CREATE_INFO_KHR

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-pNext-pNext
  Each `pNext` member of any structure (including this one) in the `pNext` chain must be either `NULL` or a pointer to a valid instance of VkDeviceGroupSwapchainCreateInfoKHR, VkImageCompressionControlEXT, VkImageFormatListCreateInfo, VkSurfaceFullScreenExclusiveInfoEXT, VkSurfaceFullScreenExclusiveWin32InfoEXT, VkSwapchainCounterCreateInfoEXT, VkSwapchainDisplayNativeHdrCreateInfoAMD, VkSwapchainLatencyCreateInfoNV, VkSwapchainPresentBarrierCreateInfoNV, VkSwapchainPresentModesCreateInfoKHR, or VkSwapchainPresentScalingCreateInfoKHR

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-sType-unique
  The `sType` value of each structure in the `pNext` chain must be unique

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-flags-parameter
  `flags` must be a valid combination of VkSwapchainCreateFlagBitsKHR values

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-surface-parameter
  `surface` must be a valid VkSurfaceKHR handle

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-imageFormat-parameter
  `imageFormat` must be a valid VkFormat value

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-imageColorSpace-parameter
  `imageColorSpace` must be a valid VkColorSpaceKHR value

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-imageUsage-parameter
  `imageUsage` must be a valid combination of VkImageUsageFlagBits values

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-imageUsage-requiredbitmask
  `imageUsage` must not be `0`

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-imageSharingMode-parameter
  `imageSharingMode` must be a valid VkSharingMode value

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-preTransform-parameter
  `preTransform` must be a valid VkSurfaceTransformFlagBitsKHR value

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-compositeAlpha-parameter
  `compositeAlpha` must be a valid VkCompositeAlphaFlagBitsKHR value

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-presentMode-parameter
  `presentMode` must be a valid VkPresentModeKHR value

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-oldSwapchain-parameter
  If `oldSwapchain` is not VK_NULL_HANDLE, `oldSwapchain` must be a valid VkSwapchainKHR handle

- VUID-VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR-commonparent
  Both of `oldSwapchain`, and `surface` that are valid handles of non-ignored parameters must have been created, allocated, or retrieved from the same VkInstance

Host Synchronization

- Host access to `surface` must be externally synchronized

- Host access to `oldSwapchain` must be externally synchronized

## See Also

VK_KHR_swapchain, VkBool32, VkColorSpaceKHR, VkCompositeAlphaFlagBitsKHR, VkExtent2D, VkFormat, VkImageUsageFlags, VkPresentModeKHR, VkSharingMode, VkStructureType, VkSurfaceKHR, VkSurfaceTransformFlagBitsKHR, VkSwapchainCreateFlagsKHR, VkSwapchainKHR, vkCreateSharedSwapchainsKHR, vkCreateSwapchainKHR

## Document Notes

For more information, see the Vulkan Specification.

This page is extracted from the Vulkan Specification. Fixes and changes should be made to the Specification, not directly.

## Copyright

Copyright 2014-2026 The Khronos Group Inc.

SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-4.0