DirectX12 games coming to all Microsoft platforms by the end of 2015
Microsoft has released more details about the new DirectX generation. The company expects the first games based on DirectX 12 to appear in late 2015. The API collection is coming to Windows, Windows Phone, and the Xbox One.
DirectX 12 should use GPUs more efficiently in games, but it is not only intended for high-end gaming and not only for desktop video cards, Microsoft reports on its DirectX Developer Blog. “Direct3D 12 works on all Microsoft devices, from phones and tablets to laptops and desktops.”
As for Windows Phone, this means Qualcomm’s Snapdragon-socs will receive support, as Qualcomm has also confirmed, according to EETimes, although it’s not clear which models that affects. With the desktop, all AMD video cards based on the Graphics Core Next architecture receive support, while with Nvidia all cards with DirectX 11 support. According to Microsoft, this concerns 100 percent of the video cards currently sold and 80 percent of the gaming PCs.
The Xbox One also supports DirectX 12 and according to Microsoft, games get better performance on the platform. In addition, the api bundling promises to make porting games to the different platforms easier.
DirectX 12 will give developers more access to the graphics hardware and the platform should reduce the CPU load. To demonstrate this, Microsoft has ported the 3DMark benchmark to DX12. Compared to the current benchmark optimized for DX11, the CPU load at the port is 50 percent less, while the work is also more efficiently distributed over the cores. Microsoft also describes reducing overhead by, among other things, converting pipeline state objects into native instructions for the hardware in a uniform manner.
Incidentally, Microsoft uses the slogan ‘Closer to the metal’ to indicate direct access to the graphics chip. This is the same slogan AMD previously used for its Mantle API, which offers similar functionality. AMD previously announced that it would like to see the arrival of DirectX 12, because the APIs would be in line with the Mantle vision of the company.
The first games using DirectX 12 will be available at the end of 2015, Microsoft expects. A preview release will be available later this year.