In the next update to Windows, codenamed 19H1, the DirectX12 debug layer adds support for GPU-based validation (GBV) of shader model 6.x (DXIL) as well as the previously supported shader model 5.x (DXBC). GBV is a GPU timeline validation that modifies and injects validation instructions directly into application shaders. It can provide more deta...

In the next update to Windows, codenamed 19H1, developers can specify DXR state subobjects inside a DXIL library. This provides an easier, flexible, and modular way of defining raytracing state, removing the need for repetitive boilerplate C++ code. This usability improvement was driven by feedback from early adopters of the API, so thanks to all t...

If you just want to see what DirectX Raytracing can do for gaming, check out the videos from Epic, Futuremark and EA, SEED.  To learn about the magic behind the curtain, keep reading. 3D Graphics is a Lie For the last thirty years, almost all games have used the same general technique—rasterization—to render images on screen.  While the internal re...

If you are a Windows game developer using DirectX 12, you know that great tools are essential for getting the most out of the graphics hardware. In the past few months, we’ve been making rapid progress on delivering the tools you’ve requested. At the Game Developers Conference today, we demoed new features for both PIX, our premier tool for tuning ...

Continued commitment to gaming on Windows 10 With Windows 10, we promised to build an OS designed for PC gaming, with DirectX 12 as one of the cornerstones of the Windows 10 gaming experience. In the 18 months since our release, DirectX 12 has seen very rapid adoption, with nearly 20 AAA games now available with DirectX 12 support. Much of this ra...

Hello graphics developer pals! We're as excited as a ninja-cat-riding-a-T-Rex to share our work with you all. We’ve been working with some of you already and we're excited to welcome any newcomers! So, let me give you a little tour of where you can find the content you may be looking for. Let’s meet up after the T-Rex, shall we?   ...

Hi all! Wow, we've had a busy year for the graphics teams here at Microsoft.  In addition to busily building the graphics features and upgrades you’ll get your hands on with Windows 10, we've been out and about. We've run into you at standout events like GDC, XFest, and, most recently, //build.Read on for a high-level recap of the Graph...

Have you been itching to try DirectX 12 for yourself?  Well today you can, with the release of Futuremark’s 3DMark API Overhead feature test, the first publicly available DirectX 12 application!  The fact that DirectX 12 dramatically improves multithread scaling and CPU performance isn’t a surprise, but the extent of the impro...

Are you ready to bring the power of DirectX 12 to your game? Hear Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, talk about The Future of Gaming Across the Microsoft Ecosystem Attend our technical sessions to learn the latest about DirectX 12 Advanced DirectX12 Graphics and Performance (Wednesday 2-3pm, West Hall 2008): This technical session goes deep into the Dire...

What's the big deal? DirectX 12 introduces the next version of Direct3D, the graphics API at the heart of DirectX.  Direct3D is one of the most critical pieces of a game or game engine, and we’ve redesigned it to be faster and more efficient than ever before.  Direct3D 12 enables richer scenes, more objects, and full utilization of ...