Common Windows 8 FAQ: Will Windows 8 Ship With DirectX 12?
It will not be a surprise if Directx12 is going to ship together with Windows 8. DirectX10 shipped with Vista, and DirectX11 was first introduced in Windows 7. In this guide, we will explore a bit more information about DirectX12.
We expect first DirectX12 tech demos this year. – However, currently very few games actually support DirectX11. Could this mean that there will be no major DirectX update for Windows 8? It’s possible, but there’s still a lot of time.
Updates to DirectX12
New architecture from both AMD and NVidia would be required before the next update. So far, only few details about the next generation of NVIDIA cards leaked out, so it’s still uncertain.
Development for DirectX12 is probably in development already, but take it with a grain of salt.
Windows 8 is not due to be released until 2012, the chances are good that we will actually get a DirectX update until then.
Beginner FAQ: What is DirectX?
DirectX is an API (application programming interface) designed by none other than Microsoft. It is used to handle tasks in relation to game programming and video. You are probably aware the Xbox is developed by Microsoft, but many do not know that the X in Xbox is there to show that the technology is based on DirectX. DirectX has been around since way back in 1995 and has been updated over the years to keep up with new updates and different operating systems.
Only for Windows?
By rights, all versions of DirectX have only been designed for Windows, but that does not mean you cannot get Direct X on a Mac or Linux based system. You can use OpenGL to partition both systems, allowing you to use DirectX.
AMD’s fusion APU(g-cpu) and NVIDIA’s maxwell with project Denver(c-GPU) will require a full number update… Looking at the prices of Hardware and the required price point for next gen consoles I think they must be sold in pieces. APU(CPU and GPU on a single chip) Then later a full graphics card add on.. So careful consideration must be taken for compute functionality.
Nvidia’s idea is that the graphics card will be independent with ARM cpu cores and able to address external system memory. They will be using an ARM 64 bit. Scalability from smart phones up to super computers.
DX12 should also have ways to extend console life.. Like mixing prerendered graphics with real time rendering. Video texture overlays or something like that. deferred rendering is also growing fast, and more functionality should be added for that.
g-CPU’s and c-GPU’s are the next big thing.