Author: The Khronos® Vulkan Working Group

# Vulkan® 1.4.309 - A Specification (with all registered extensions)

The Khronos® Vulkan Working Group
version 1.4.309, 2025-03-27 13:53:44Z
from git branch: makepkg commit: 5a38e1f41285241a29f6428978aae6d1cf13fd16

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## Appendix C: Compressed Image Formats

The compressed texture formats used by Vulkan are described in the specifically identified sections of the Khronos Data Format Specification, version 1.3.

Unless otherwise described, the quantities encoded in these compressed formats are treated as normalized, unsigned values.

Those formats listed as sRGB-encoded have in-memory representations of R, G and B components which are nonlinearly-encoded as R', G', and B'; any alpha component is unchanged. As part of filtering, the nonlinear R', G', and B' values are converted to linear R, G, and B components; any alpha component is unchanged. The conversion between linear and nonlinear encoding is performed as described in the “KHR_DF_TRANSFER_SRGB” section of the Khronos Data Format Specification.

### Block-Compressed Image Formats

BC1, BC2 and BC3 formats are described in “S3TC Compressed Texture Image Formats” chapter of the Khronos Data Format Specification. BC4 and BC5 are described in the “RGTC Compressed Texture Image Formats” chapter. BC6H and BC7 are described in the “BPTC Compressed Texture Image Formats” chapter.

Table 106. Mapping of Vulkan BC Formats to Descriptions
VkFormat | Khronos Data Format Specification description
--- | ---
Formats described in the “S3TC Compressed Texture Image Formats” chapter
`VK_FORMAT_BC1_RGB_UNORM_BLOCK` | BC1 with no alpha
`VK_FORMAT_BC1_RGB_SRGB_BLOCK` | BC1 with no alpha, sRGB-encoded
`VK_FORMAT_BC1_RGBA_UNORM_BLOCK` | BC1 with alpha
`VK_FORMAT_BC1_RGBA_SRGB_BLOCK` | BC1 with alpha, sRGB-encoded
`VK_FORMAT_BC2_UNORM_BLOCK` | BC2
`VK_FORMAT_BC2_SRGB_BLOCK` | BC2, sRGB-encoded
`VK_FORMAT_BC3_UNORM_BLOCK` | BC3
`VK_FORMAT_BC3_SRGB_BLOCK` | BC3, sRGB-encoded
Formats described in the “RGTC Compressed Texture Image Formats” chapter
`VK_FORMAT_BC4_UNORM_BLOCK` | BC4 unsigned
`VK_FORMAT_BC4_SNORM_BLOCK` | BC4 signed
`VK_FORMAT_BC5_UNORM_BLOCK` | BC5 unsigned
`VK_FORMAT_BC5_SNORM_BLOCK` | BC5 signed
Formats described in the “BPTC Compressed Texture Image Formats” chapter
`VK_FORMAT_BC6H_UFLOAT_BLOCK` | BC6H (unsigned version)
`VK_FORMAT_BC6H_SFLOAT_BLOCK` | BC6H (signed version)
`VK_FORMAT_BC7_UNORM_BLOCK` | BC7
`VK_FORMAT_BC7_SRGB_BLOCK` | BC7, sRGB-encoded

### ETC Compressed Image Formats

The following formats are described in the “ETC2 Compressed Texture Image Formats” chapter of the Khronos Data Format Specification.

Table 107. Mapping of Vulkan ETC Formats to Descriptions
VkFormat | Khronos Data Format Specification description
--- | ---
`VK_FORMAT_ETC2_R8G8B8_UNORM_BLOCK` | RGB ETC2
`VK_FORMAT_ETC2_R8G8B8_SRGB_BLOCK` | RGB ETC2 with sRGB encoding
`VK_FORMAT_ETC2_R8G8B8A1_UNORM_BLOCK` | RGB ETC2 with punch-through alpha
`VK_FORMAT_ETC2_R8G8B8A1_SRGB_BLOCK` | RGB ETC2 with punch-through alpha and sRGB
`VK_FORMAT_ETC2_R8G8B8A8_UNORM_BLOCK` | RGBA ETC2
`VK_FORMAT_ETC2_R8G8B8A8_SRGB_BLOCK` | RGBA ETC2 with sRGB encoding
`VK_FORMAT_EAC_R11_UNORM_BLOCK` | Unsigned R11 EAC
`VK_FORMAT_EAC_R11_SNORM_BLOCK` | Signed R11 EAC
`VK_FORMAT_EAC_R11G11_UNORM_BLOCK` | Unsigned RG11 EAC
`VK_FORMAT_EAC_R11G11_SNORM_BLOCK` | Signed RG11 EAC

### ASTC Compressed Image Formats

ASTC formats are described in the “ASTC Compressed Texture Image Formats” chapter of the Khronos Data Format Specification.

Table 108. Mapping of Vulkan ASTC Formats to Descriptions
VkFormat | Compressed texel block dimensions | Requested mode
--- | --- | ---
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_4x4_UNORM_BLOCK` | 4 × 4 | Linear LDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_4x4_SRGB_BLOCK` | 4 × 4 | sRGB
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_5x4_UNORM_BLOCK` | 5 × 4 | Linear LDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_5x4_SRGB_BLOCK` | 5 × 4 | sRGB
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_5x5_UNORM_BLOCK` | 5 × 5 | Linear LDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_5x5_SRGB_BLOCK` | 5 × 5 | sRGB
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_6x5_UNORM_BLOCK` | 6 × 5 | Linear LDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_6x5_SRGB_BLOCK` | 6 × 5 | sRGB
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_6x6_UNORM_BLOCK` | 6 × 6 | Linear LDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_6x6_SRGB_BLOCK` | 6 × 6 | sRGB
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_8x5_UNORM_BLOCK` | 8 × 5 | Linear LDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_8x5_SRGB_BLOCK` | 8 × 5 | sRGB
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_8x6_UNORM_BLOCK` | 8 × 6 | Linear LDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_8x6_SRGB_BLOCK` | 8 × 6 | sRGB
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_8x8_UNORM_BLOCK` | 8 × 8 | Linear LDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_8x8_SRGB_BLOCK` | 8 × 8 | sRGB
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_10x5_UNORM_BLOCK` | 10 × 5 | Linear LDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_10x5_SRGB_BLOCK` | 10 × 5 | sRGB
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_10x6_UNORM_BLOCK` | 10 × 6 | Linear LDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_10x6_SRGB_BLOCK` | 10 × 6 | sRGB
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_10x8_UNORM_BLOCK` | 10 × 8 | Linear LDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_10x8_SRGB_BLOCK` | 10 × 8 | sRGB
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_10x10_UNORM_BLOCK` | 10 × 10 | Linear LDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_10x10_SRGB_BLOCK` | 10 × 10 | sRGB
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_12x10_UNORM_BLOCK` | 12 × 10 | Linear LDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_12x10_SRGB_BLOCK` | 12 × 10 | sRGB
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_12x12_UNORM_BLOCK` | 12 × 12 | Linear LDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_12x12_SRGB_BLOCK` | 12 × 12 | sRGB
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_4x4_SFLOAT_BLOCK` | 4 × 4 | HDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_5x4_SFLOAT_BLOCK` | 5 × 4 | HDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_5x5_SFLOAT_BLOCK` | 5 × 5 | HDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_6x5_SFLOAT_BLOCK` | 6 × 5 | HDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_6x6_SFLOAT_BLOCK` | 6 × 6 | HDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_8x5_SFLOAT_BLOCK` | 8 × 5 | HDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_8x6_SFLOAT_BLOCK` | 8 × 6 | HDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_8x8_SFLOAT_BLOCK` | 8 × 8 | HDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_10x5_SFLOAT_BLOCK` | 10 × 5 | HDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_10x6_SFLOAT_BLOCK` | 10 × 6 | HDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_10x8_SFLOAT_BLOCK` | 10 × 8 | HDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_10x10_SFLOAT_BLOCK` | 10 × 10 | HDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_12x10_SFLOAT_BLOCK` | 12 × 10 | HDR
`VK_FORMAT_ASTC_12x12_SFLOAT_BLOCK` | 12 × 12 | HDR

ASTC textures containing HDR block encodings should be passed to the API using an ASTC SFLOAT texture format.

Note | An HDR block in a texture passed using a LDR UNORM format will return the appropriate ASTC error color if the implementation supports only the ASTC LDR profile, but may result in either the error color or a decompressed HDR color if the implementation supports HDR decoding.

#### ASTC Decode Mode

If the `VK_EXT_astc_decode_mode` extension is enabled, the decode mode is determined as follows:

Table 109. Mapping of Vulkan ASTC Decoding Format to ASTC Decoding Modes
VkFormat | Decoding mode
--- | ---
`VK_FORMAT_R16G16B16A16_SFLOAT` | decode_float16
`VK_FORMAT_R8G8B8A8_UNORM` | decode_unorm8
`VK_FORMAT_E5B9G9R9_UFLOAT_PACK32` | decode_rgb9e5

Otherwise, the ASTC decode mode is decode_float16.

Note that an implementation may use HDR mode when linear LDR mode is requested unless the decode mode is decode_unorm8.

### PVRTC Compressed Image Formats

PVRTC formats are described in the “PVRTC Compressed Texture Image Formats” chapter of the Khronos Data Format Specification.

Table 110. Mapping of Vulkan PVRTC Formats to Descriptions
VkFormat | Compressed texel block dimensions | sRGB-encoded
--- | --- | ---
`VK_FORMAT_PVRTC1_2BPP_UNORM_BLOCK_IMG` | 8 × 4 | No
`VK_FORMAT_PVRTC1_4BPP_UNORM_BLOCK_IMG` | 4 × 4 | No
`VK_FORMAT_PVRTC2_2BPP_UNORM_BLOCK_IMG` | 8 × 4 | No
`VK_FORMAT_PVRTC2_4BPP_UNORM_BLOCK_IMG` | 4 × 4 | No
`VK_FORMAT_PVRTC1_2BPP_SRGB_BLOCK_IMG` | 8 × 4 | Yes
`VK_FORMAT_PVRTC1_4BPP_SRGB_BLOCK_IMG` | 4 × 4 | Yes
`VK_FORMAT_PVRTC2_2BPP_SRGB_BLOCK_IMG` | 8 × 4 | Yes
`VK_FORMAT_PVRTC2_4BPP_SRGB_BLOCK_IMG` | 4 × 4 | Yes