Microsoft has introduced DirectX 12 Ultimate, a brand new model of the graphics expertise underpinning each Windows and the upcoming Xbox Series X. Unveiled on Thursday, it’s one among many bulletins initially scheduled for GDC 2020 which are carrying on regardless of the present’s cancellation.
Nvidia shared particulars of what to anticipate earlier than Microsoft’s official presentation, and it’s straightforward to see why: Even although Microsoft’s next-gen console is powered by AMD, DirectX 12 Ultimate enshrines a number of progressive applied sciences first launched by GeForce RTX 20-series graphics playing cards as a brand new business customary—one which now spans each PCs and consoles, incomes it the “Ultimate” title.
“By unifying the graphics platform across PC and Xbox Series X, DX12 Ultimate serves as a force multiplier for the entire gaming ecosystem,” Microsoft’s announcement publish says. “No longer do the cycles operate independently! Instead, they now combine synergistically: when Xbox Series X releases, there will already be many millions of DX12 Ultimate PC graphics cards in the world with the same feature set, catalyzing a rapid adoption of new features, and when Xbox Series X brings a wave of new console gamers, PC will likewise benefit from this vast surge of new DX12 Ultimate capable hardware! The result? An adrenaline shot to new feature adoption, groundbreaking graphics in the hands of gamers more quickly than ever before.”
DirectX 12 Ultimate helps DirectX Raytracing (DXR) tier 1.1, after all. The cutting-edge lighting expertise stole the highlight in GeForce RTX 20-series GPUs to the extent that Nvidia ditched its conventional “GTX” branding for “RTX,” and it’s a key characteristic of the next-gen Xbox Series X. (The PlayStation 5 additionally helps hardware-based ray tracing, however Sony’s programs don’t depend on DirectX expertise.)
Ray tracing can look positively breathtaking when used to good impact, because it has been in Control and Metro Exodus. While its adoption has been restricted up to now, anticipate to see ray tracing explode in recognition as soon as it’s within the consoles.
AMD’s forthcoming RDNA2-based Radeon graphics playing cards may even assist {hardware} ray tracing and DirectX 12 Ultimate, the corporate has confirmed, together with releasing the video above.
Ray tracing isn’t the one tech launched by Nvidia’s Turing structure that’s being codified by DirectX 12 Ultimate, although. Two different clever rendering capabilities make your GPU work smarter, not more durable, supercharging the efficiency potential of your graphics card (or Xbox) if builders wind up embracing them.
NvidiaDX12 Ultimate {hardware} additionally must assist Variable Rate Shading (VRS) tier 2. Here’s how we described Variable Rate Shading in our Nvidia Turing GPU deep dive:
Any PC {hardware} must assist all of those applied sciences to be DirectX 12 Ultimate compliant. Nvidia’s GeForce RTX graphics playing cards already do, clearly, as will the Xbox Series X and AMD’s next-gen RDNA2 Radeon graphics playing cards scheduled to launch later this yr.
For a way more technical deep dive into DirectX 12 Ultimate’s capabilities, make sure you try the publish from Microsoft’s DirectX crew.
Editor’s word: This article was up to date to incorporate info from Microsoft’s DX12 Ultimate announcement publish.
