# vkCreateSharedSwapchainsKHR(3) Manual Page

## Name

vkCreateSharedSwapchainsKHR - Create multiple swapchains that share presentable images

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## C Specification

When the `VK_KHR_display_swapchain` extension is enabled, multiple swapchains that share presentable images are created by calling:

    // Provided by VK_KHR_display_swapchain
    VkResult vkCreateSharedSwapchainsKHR(
        VkDevice                                    device,
        uint32_t                                    swapchainCount,
        const VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR*             pCreateInfos,
        const VkAllocationCallbacks*                pAllocator,
        VkSwapchainKHR*                             pSwapchains);

## Parameters

- `device` is the device to create the swapchains for.

- `swapchainCount` is the number of swapchains to create.

- `pCreateInfos` is a pointer to an array of VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR structures specifying the parameters of the created swapchains.

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

- `pSwapchains` is a pointer to an array of VkSwapchainKHR handles in which the created swapchain objects will be returned.

## Description

`vkCreateSharedSwapchainsKHR` is similar to vkCreateSwapchainKHR, except that it takes an array of VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR structures, and returns an array of swapchain objects.

The swapchain creation parameters that affect the properties and number of presentable images must match between all the swapchains. If the displays used by any of the swapchains do not use the same presentable image layout or are incompatible in a way that prevents sharing images, swapchain creation will fail with the result code `VK_ERROR_INCOMPATIBLE_DISPLAY_KHR`. If any error occurs, no swapchains will be created. Images presented to multiple swapchains must be re-acquired from all of them before being modified. After destroying one or more of the swapchains, the remaining swapchains and the presentable images can continue to be used.

Valid Usage (Implicit)

- VUID-vkCreateSharedSwapchainsKHR-device-parameter
  `device` must be a valid VkDevice handle

- VUID-vkCreateSharedSwapchainsKHR-pCreateInfos-parameter
  `pCreateInfos` must be a valid pointer to an array of `swapchainCount` valid VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR structures

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

- VUID-vkCreateSharedSwapchainsKHR-pSwapchains-parameter
  `pSwapchains` must be a valid pointer to an array of `swapchainCount` VkSwapchainKHR handles

- VUID-vkCreateSharedSwapchainsKHR-device-queuecount
  The device must have been created with at least `1` queue

- VUID-vkCreateSharedSwapchainsKHR-swapchainCount-arraylength
  `swapchainCount` must be greater than `0`

Return Codes

On success, this command returns

  - `VK_SUCCESS`

On failure, this command returns

  - `VK_ERROR_OUT_OF_HOST_MEMORY`

  - `VK_ERROR_OUT_OF_DEVICE_MEMORY`

  - `VK_ERROR_INCOMPATIBLE_DISPLAY_KHR`

  - `VK_ERROR_DEVICE_LOST`

  - `VK_ERROR_SURFACE_LOST_KHR`

## See Also

VK_KHR_display_swapchain, VkAllocationCallbacks, VkDevice, VkSwapchainCreateInfoKHR, VkSwapchainKHR

## 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 2014-2025 The Khronos Group Inc.

SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-4.0