Meet the future of PC graphics: Microsoft reveals faster, console-like DirectX 12

[steve2470]

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2110085/next-gen-directx-12-graphics-tech-revealed-hitting-microsoft-platforms-in-2015.html

SAN FRANCISCO—Meet the next generation of gaming graphics. DirectX 12 is faster, lighter-weight, and more predictable, said Anuj Gosalia, Development Manager for Graphics at Microsoft, at the Game Developers Conference on Thursday, calling the new tech “the beginning of a new era in graphics APIs.”

Gosalia started his talk with some truisms that influenced the design of DirectX 12: GPU performance will continue to increase aggressively, while CPU core count is unlikely to aggressively increase.

So what did developers want from DirectX and Microsoft? It was manifold: a console-like “closer to the metal” API, more control, an elimination of overhead, predictability, consistency, advanced rendering techniques, better debugging tools, and broad availability.

A tall order.

[ChromeFoundry]

1. ...and will only be supported on Windows 8

Another ploy to get you to upgrade to the second most failed OS since Windows Vista.

Funny how it took AMD’s Mantle release to give MS the push to further develop DirectX.

[hunter]

2. Why would any developer use that unless they were part of Microsoft or hoping...

... to sell themselves to Microsoft?

OpenGL and other multi-platform tools seem to be the future.

AMD, Intel and Nvidia join forces to push OpenGL for games developers
OpenGL touted as offering up to 15 times faster performance
By Lee Bell
Mon Mar 24 2014, 11:55

CHIP DESIGNERS AMD, Intel and Nvidia teamed up to tout the advantages of the OpenGL multi-platform application programming interface (API) at this year's Game Developers Conference (GDC).

Sharing a stage at the event in San Francisco, the three major chip designers explained how, with a little tuning, OpenGL can offer developers between seven and 15 times better performance as opposed to the more widely recognised increases of 1.3 times.

AMD manager of software development Graham Sellers, Intel graphics software engineer Tim Foley and Nvidia OpenGL engineer Cass Everitt and senior software engineer John McDonald presented their OpenGL techniques on real-world devices to demonstrate how these techniques are suitable for use across multiple platforms.

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2335867/amd-intel-and-nvidia-join-forces-to-push-opengl-for-games-developers

[ChromeFoundry]

3. DirectX is very well documented

and the API makes it much easier for a developer to code against.

That is the ONLY benefit I can see DirectX having over OpenGL.