vkCreateMacOSSurfaceMVK(3)

# vkCreateMacOSSurfaceMVK(3) Manual Page

## Name

vkCreateMacOSSurfaceMVK - Create a VkSurfaceKHR object for a macOS NSView

## C Specification

To create a `VkSurfaceKHR` object for a macOS `NSView` or CAMetalLayer, call:

    // Provided by VK_MVK_macos_surface
    VkResult vkCreateMacOSSurfaceMVK(
        VkInstance                                  instance,
        const VkMacOSSurfaceCreateInfoMVK*          pCreateInfo,
        const VkAllocationCallbacks*                pAllocator,
        VkSurfaceKHR*                               pSurface);

## Parameters

- `instance` is the instance with which to associate the surface.

- `pCreateInfo` is a pointer to a VkMacOSSurfaceCreateInfoMVK structure containing parameters affecting the creation of the surface object.

- `pAllocator` is the allocator used for host memory allocated for the surface object when there is no more specific allocator available (see Memory Allocation).

- `pSurface` is a pointer to a VkSurfaceKHR handle in which the created surface object is returned.

## Description

Note | The `vkCreateMacOSSurfaceMVK` function is considered legacy and has been superseded by vkCreateMetalSurfaceEXT from the `VK_EXT_metal_surface` extension.

Valid Usage (Implicit)

- VUID-vkCreateMacOSSurfaceMVK-instance-parameter
  `instance` must be a valid VkInstance handle

- VUID-vkCreateMacOSSurfaceMVK-pCreateInfo-parameter
  `pCreateInfo` must be a valid pointer to a valid VkMacOSSurfaceCreateInfoMVK structure

- VUID-vkCreateMacOSSurfaceMVK-pAllocator-parameter
  If `pAllocator` is not `NULL`, `pAllocator` must be a valid pointer to a valid VkAllocationCallbacks structure

- VUID-vkCreateMacOSSurfaceMVK-pSurface-parameter
  `pSurface` must be a valid pointer to a VkSurfaceKHR handle

Return Codes

On success, this command returns

  - VK_SUCCESS

On failure, this command returns

  - VK_ERROR_NATIVE_WINDOW_IN_USE_KHR

  - VK_ERROR_OUT_OF_DEVICE_MEMORY

  - VK_ERROR_OUT_OF_HOST_MEMORY

  - VK_ERROR_UNKNOWN

  - VK_ERROR_VALIDATION_FAILED

## See Also

VK_MVK_macos_surface, VkAllocationCallbacks, VkInstance, VkMacOSSurfaceCreateInfoMVK, VkSurfaceKHR

## 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