Explained: DirectX 12: what is it, and why it matters to PC gamers

Explained: DirectX 12: what is it, and why it matters to PC gamers

By Kevin Parrish

Explained: DirectX 12: what is it, and why it matters to PC gamers

DirectX 12 Explained

For the average gamer, PC game development should appear a tricky business – because it is.

With consoles, developers have one hardware set for each brand (Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo): one processor, one graphics chip, predetermined memory, input options and other standard hardware components.

For the PC, however, game developers face an infinite number of hardware configurations. Getting games to work correctly over a vast universe of graphics cards, motherboards and so on seems like pulling a rabbit out of a magician’s hat.

This is why, based on what’s been whispered over the last decade, developers have swarmed around the consoles: they have decent hardware on the cheap, piracy is low and developers virtually have direct access to the hardware components when programming their software.

This latter feature is key, as developers can squeeze every ounce of performance out of hardware as well as take advantage of built-in component features. This is why Microsoft’s DirectX is so important for PC gaming.

directx 12

What in the world is DirectX?

DirectX, simply put, is software developed by Microsoft that talks to a PC’s hardware components. Specifically, it’s a …read more

Source:: techradar.com – Gaming

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