One of the core advantages of low-level APIs like DirectX 12 and Vulkan is improved CPU utilization. There are three main advantages of the DirectX 12 API for PC gamers: Better Scaling with Multi-Core CPUs CPU overhead with DX11 and 12 (lower is better) DirectX 11 vs DirectX 12: What Does it Mean for PC Gamers With DX12 Ultimate, MS is basically integrating the two platforms.
It will be used on both Windows as well as the next-gen Xbox Series X.
#DIRECTX 12 AMD PS4#
That’s the reason why PS4 games don’t run on the Xbox One and vise versa.ĭirectX 12 Ultimate is the first graphics API that breaks that rule. In general, an API is designed for a specific OS. However, unlike paint, the output program of a graphics API is only readable by the API used to design it. Think of it as MS Paint where the game is the painting and the paint application is the API. A graphics API is a platform where the actual game designing and mechanics are figured out. Now, what does a graphics API like DirectX do? It acts as an intermediate between the game engine and the graphics drivers, which in turn interact with the OS Kernel. OpenGL and Vulkan, on the other hand, run on Mac as well as Linux. However, unlike its counterparts, DX is a Microsoft proprietary platform and only runs on Windows natively. Like Vulkan and OpenGL, DirectX is an API that allows you to run video games on your computer. But what exactly is DirectX 12 and how is it different from DirectX 11. This includes better CPU utilization, closer to metal access as well as a host of new features most notably ray-tracing or DXR (DirectX Ray-tracing).
DirectX 12 debuted two years back, promising significant performance and efficiency boosts across the board.