Earlier on this month, Microsoft revealed that it would be taking the wraps off DirectX 12 at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco this week, and true to its word, the software maker has delivered the goods. The landmark release, which offers several improvements to the graphics and gaming API, supports a plethora of the software maker’s major platforms, including the Xbox One, mobile, and of course, PC. Catch the full details right after the leap!
Making its announcement earlier on today at the GDC, Microsoft revealed that DirectX 12 will be compatible right through the company’s main products and devices, spanning Windows, Windows Phone and the recently-released Xbox One. As such, titles created using the DirectX 12 API should see improved performance, and since developers can get right into the heart of and fully utilize the hardware at their disposal thanks to the low-level access offered by DirectX 12, will be able to deliver some truly advanced experiences to gamers.
As we touched upon in our initial coverage of DirectX 12 earlier on in March, Microsoft has faced staunch opposition from AMD, which believes that DirectX isn’t flexible, forward-thinking or robust enough to cater to the needs of a fast-moving industry. But while the chip maker may have pressed ahead with its own plans in the form of Mantle, Microsoft clearly sees DirectX as having an integral role to play, and today’s session at the GDC only emphasizes this.
Despite AMD’s remonstration, it’s still on board with DirectX 12, as are Intel, NVIDIA and Qualcomm. Intel has already stated that DirectX 12 will be supported by its power-efficient Haswell fourth-gen processors from the get-go, and with a myriad of NVIDIA graphics chips, including Kepler and Maxwell, also supportive of the new API, the major partners seem more than ready for DirectX 12’s eventual roll-out.
If you’re looking forward to enjoying some DirectX 12-boosted titles on your devices, though, you’re in for a bit of a wait, with Microsoft reportedly having stressed that the first batch won’t be hitting the scene until late next year.
Nevertheless, with half of all new PC games by the holiday season of 2015 set to work with DirectX 12, this is a significant announcement for the gaming world, and we eagerly await that first bundle of games next year.
You can follow us on Twitter, add us to your circle on Google+ or like our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the Web.
