
- #What does directx 12 do update#
- #What does directx 12 do software#
- #What does directx 12 do Pc#
- #What does directx 12 do series#
- #What does directx 12 do windows#
#What does directx 12 do Pc#
Thus, DirectX seemingly pushed OpenGL out of the way by the time version 9 (aka DX9) hit the PC gaming scene in 2002. Microsoft's graphics API suite gained momentum over time once developers figured out it wouldn't ever go away.
#What does directx 12 do windows#
Windows 95 didn't have this direct line of communication – until Microsoft developed its DirectX suite of APIs.Īt first, DirectX didn't take off, as developers mostly relied on OpenGL at the time and programmed efficiently in the DOS environment.

Many veteran PC gamers should remember the old days of editing the Config.sys file and the Autoexec.bat file to set up the correct settings environment so that a specific game could work correctly (IRQs and DMAs were edited too, but that's another story). At the time, most PC games ran on the old DOS platform, which allowed developers to "talk" directly to PC components such as the audio card, video card, mouse and more.

And, while OpenGL is a cross-platform API, it doesn't have the advantage of being native to the Windows platform.ĭirectX first appeared in Windows 95. It rivals OpenGL, another graphics-oriented API suite introduced in 1992, that's open source and in continuous development by the Khronos Group technology consortium. Nvidia: 'DX12's focus is on enabling a dramatic increase in visual richness through a significant decrease in API-related CPU overhead.' Specifically, it's a collection of application programming interfaces, or APIs, designed to handle tasks related to rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics, rendering video and playing audio on the Windows platform.
#What does directx 12 do software#
It feels like an afterthought, but if your system doesn’t qualify for DirectX 12 Ultimate (as my Surface Laptop doesn’t), a link connects you to Microsoft’s blog post on the subject, where its goals become clear.DirectX, simply put, is software developed by Microsoft that talks to a PC's hardware components. The DirectX 12 Ultimate checker is the more understated addition to Game Bar, yet it’s the most interesting. The DirectX 12 Ultimate checker can be found within Settings under Gaming Features. Like all of the other Xbox widgets, they can be accessed from the bulleted widget menu icon just to the right of the system clock. (The expanded view shown in our screenshot above does away with the color coding.) In other words, there’s no real need to add this particular widget, except for those who want to keep a sharp eye on any runaway apps that might impact frame rate. To be fair, the new Resources functionality is found within Windows’ own Task Manager, though that interface doesn’t highlight offending apps. Microsoft’s Game Bar announcement is actually tied to a new Resources widget, which allows you to keep an eye on what other apps are sucking up memory and CPU power. Even though PC gaming has evolved well past the days of configuring autoexec.bat and himem.sys, gamers know that performance is tied to minimizing the resources sucked up by other apps. Over time, the Game Bar’s overlay has been used to control screenshots and livestreams, monitor friends and gaming Achievements, and most recently as a source of third-party widgets.

It’s up to you whether to use the Xbox Game Bar on your PC, which is triggered by hitting the Win+G keyboard shortcut. Microsoft’s new Xbox Game Bar, with both the new Resources widget and DirectX 12 Ultimate checker highlighted. The company is also encouraging gamers to look for the DirectX 12 Ultimate logo on the product page or retail boxes.

#What does directx 12 do update#
DirectX 12 Ultimate didn’t seem like a brand, just a collection of technologies governing the features of graphics cards like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Founder’s Edition, as well as AMD’s RX 6800 series, too. Apparently, Microsoft thinks differently.Īs part of a new Xbox Game Bar for PC update released Thursday, Microsoft includes an explicit check to determine whether your gaming PC qualifies for DirectX 12 Ultimate.
#What does directx 12 do series#
In March, Microsoft announced DirectX 12 Ultimate, which encapsulates many of the next-gen PC hardware and Xbox Series X technologies that Microsoft is now explicitly encouraging consumers to buy: DirectX Raytracing (DXR) tier 1.1, Variable Rate Shading tier 2, mesh shaders, and more. Add DirectX 12 Ultimate to the list of stickers and logos you’ll want to look for while buying PC hardware.
