Pixel Shader Differences

Instruction Slots

Each version supports a different number of maximum instruction slots.

For information about the limitations of software shaders, see Software Shaders.

Flow Control Nesting Limits

• See Flow Control Limitations.

ps_1_x Features

New instructions:

See ps_1_1, ps_1_2, ps_1_3, ps_1_4 Instructions.

New registers:

See ps_1_1__ps_1_2__ps_1_3__ps_1_4 Registers.

ps_2_0 Features

New features:

• Three new swizzles - .yzxw, .zxyw, .wzyx
• Number of Temporary Register (r#) increased to 12
• Number of Constant Float Register registers (c#) increased to 32
• Number of Texture Coordinate Registers (t#) increased to 8

New instructions:

• Setup instructions - dcl - ps, dcl_samplerType - ps
• Arithmetic instructions - abs - ps, crs - ps, dp2add - ps, exp - ps, frc - ps, log - ps, m3x2 - ps, m3x3 - ps, m3x4 - ps, m4x3 - ps, m4x4 - ps, max - ps, min - ps, nrm - ps, pow - ps, rcp - ps, rsq - ps, sincos - ps
• Texture instructions - texld - ps_2_0 and up (different syntax), texldb - ps, texldp - ps

New registers:

• Sampler (s#)

ps_2_x Features

New features (See D3DPSHADERCAPS2_0.):

• Dynamic flow control
• Static flow control
• Nesting for dynamic and static flow control instructions
• Number of Temporary Registers (r#) increased
• Arbitrary source swizzle
• Gradient instructions
• Predication
• No dependent texture read limit
• No texture instruction limit

New instructions:

• Static flow control instructions - if bool - ps, call - ps, callnz bool - ps, else - ps, endif - ps, rep - ps, endrep - ps, label - ps, ret - ps
• Dynamic flow control instructions - break - ps, break_comp - ps, breakp - ps, callnz pred - ps, if_comp - ps, if pred - ps, setp_comp - ps
• Arithmetic instructions - dsx - ps, dsy - ps
• Texture instruction - texldd - ps

New registers:

• Predicate Register (p0)

ps_3_0 Features

New features:

• Consolidated 10 Input Registers (v#)
• Indexable Constant Float Registers (c#) with the Loop Counter Register (aL)
• Number of Temporary Registers (r#) increased to 32
• Number of Constant Float Registers (c#) increased to 224

New instructions:

• Setup instruction - dcl_usage - ps
• Static flow instructions - loop - ps, endloop - ps
• Arithmetic instruction - sincos - ps (new syntax)
• Texture instruction - texldl - ps

New registers:

• Input Register (v#)
• Position Register (vPos)
• Face Register (vFace)