# Configure graphics APIs

> How to use Unity's default APIs or alternate APIs available on the platform.

Unity uses a built-in set of graphics APIs or the graphics APIs that you select in the Unity Editor.

To use Unity’s default graphics APIs:

1. Open the [Player settings](/engine/6000.0/manual/unity-editor/editor-settings-reference/comp-manager-group/class-player-settings.md) (menu: **Edit** > Editor > **Player**).

2. Navigate to **Other Settings** > **Rendering** section and enable **Auto Graphics API for a platform (Windows/Mac/Linux)**:


   **Using the default graphics APIs:**
   ![](/api/media?file=/engine/6000.0/media/images/AutoGraphicsAPICheckboxes.png)

When you enable **Auto Graphics API for a platform (Windows/Mac/Linux)**, the Player build includes a set of built-in graphics APIs and uses the appropriate one at runtime to produce a best case scenario.

## Override default graphics APIs

You can override the default graphics APIs and use an alternate graphics API for the Editor and Player. Use the following steps:

1. In the Player settings > **Other settings** > **Rendering** section, disable the **Auto Graphics API for a platform (Windows/Mac/Linux)**.

   When **Auto Graphics API for a platform (Windows/Mac/Linux)** is disabled, the Unity Editor displays a list of supported graphics API for that platform and uses the first API in the list. The graphics API at the top of the **Graphics API** list is the default API. If the default API isn’t supported by a specific platform, Unity uses the next API in the **Graphics API** list. For the Player builds, Unity tries to use only those graphics APIs added to the list.

2. Select the **Add** (**+**) button, then select the graphics API from the dropdown.


   **Adding OpenGLCore to the Graphics APIs for Windows list:**
   ![](/api/media?file=/engine/6000.0/media/images/SelectGraphicsAPIs.png).

You can reorder the graphics APIs in the list. For example, to check how your application runs on OpenGL Core in the Editor, move **OpenGLCore** to the top of the list and the Editor switches to use OpenGL Core rendering.

> **Note:**
>
> If your system doesn't support the graphics API at the top of the list, the Unity Editor automatically tries to use the next graphics API in the list. If none of the specified APIs are supported, the Unity Editor falls back to the built-in list of supported graphics APIs.

For information on how graphics rendering behaves between the platforms and Shader language semantics, refer to [Platform-specific rendering differences](/engine/6000.0/manual/materials-and-shaders/shaders/writing-custom/shader-writing/sl/writing-shader-writing-shader-programs-hlsl/sl-platform-differences.md).

## Additional resources

* [Graphics API support](/engine/6000.0/manual/platform-specific/cross-platform-features/graphics-apis.md)
* [Surface Shaders with DX11 / OpenGL Core Tessellation](/engine/6000.0/manual/materials-and-shaders/shaders/writing-shaders-birp/writing-surface/sl-surface-shader-examples/tessellation.md)