Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

DirectX 12 Lies Dormant Within Microsoft's Recent Windows 10 Update

Posted by timothy on from the until-activated-by-a-trigger-word dept.

MojoKid writes After last Wednesday's Windows 10 event, early adopters and IT types were probably anxious for Microsoft to release the next preview build. Fortunately, it didn't take long as it came out on Friday, and it's safe to say that it introduced even more than many were anticipating (but still no Spartan browser). However, in case you missed it, DirectX 12 is actually enabled in this Windows 10 release, though unfortunately we'll need to wait for graphics drivers and apps that support it, to take advantage of DX 12 features and performance enhancements.

11 of 135 comments (clear)

  1. DirectX is obsolete by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    DirectX is obsolete. In today's multiplatform world only OpenGL matters.

    1. Re:DirectX is obsolete by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Last time I heard that statement was during DirectX vs. OpenGL battles in the late 1990's. Any halfway decent video card today can support both with all the bells and whistles. I can't remember the last time I had to pick one over the other.

    2. Re:DirectX is obsolete by wierd_w · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Microsoft WANTS directX to remain relevant in the modern multiplatform environment. That's why they are bending over backwards trying to get people to buy windows phones.

      Sadly for them, Android beat them to the punch for "Affordable smartphone OS", while apple beat them to the punch for "Luxury smartphone OS". This leaves microsoft scrambling for marketshare in the smartphone space.

      MS keeps trying to reinvent windows "For a new era", but keeps failing miserably.

      MS needs to realize that PCs arent the preferred gateways for social media like they used to be, (Phones have mostly replaced home computers for this) so social media integration with the OS on a PC is just stupidness. No reason why social media cant use web apps tailored for home PCs of course, but OS integration is not required nor desired. PCs have a pretty stable market niche if microsoft would stop trying to be idiots and realize that Peak PC is long passed.

      PCs have 2 major remaining market niches:

      1) Enterprise(/educational) workstations (Like, for doing WORK on.)
      2) PC Gaming

      Microsoft is still zealously trying to pretend that it owns the whole online media consumption experience, and keeps trying to integrate unwanted features into their OS to make it "Easier" to do social networking and other non-productive tasks which are better accomplished with a smartphone or tablet. This is to the detriment of the first market niche they currently hold; enterprise/educational workstations. Allowing users to more easily waste time on facebook is not a value-add for corporations looking to upgrade their installed workstation bases.

      Really, I have to wonder what Microsoft is thinking these days.

    3. Re:DirectX is obsolete by bloodhawk · · Score: 4, Insightful

      did we just jump into an alternate reality where suddenly MS no longer has 90%+ of the desktop gaming market? OpenGL supporters have been saying DX is obsolete for over a decade and if anything they have lost market share during that time.

    4. Re:DirectX is obsolete by bondsbw · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Really, I have to wonder what Microsoft is thinking these days.

      Maybe they want to win back the consumer market they lost? Perhaps diversify a bit?

      I just appreciate that they need to compete, and they are forcing their major competitors to bring new things to the table. Otherwise we might be looking at a repeat of mid-2000s, with stagnation like happened in Windows XP and IE 6... just with Apple or Google at the helm this time.

      --
      All my liberal friends think I'm a conservative, all my conservative friends think I'm a liberal.
    5. Re:DirectX is obsolete by wierd_w · · Score: 4, Interesting

      OpenGL (or rather, some variants thereof) is the leading API for use on portable devices.

      OpenGL lives more places than DirectX does. DirectX is very much a microsoft platform only technology. Granted, it does a bang up job there, but it does not have the "total" market penetration that OpenGL does. An OpenGL based project can be more easily ported to more disparate devices with less trouble than a DirectX based project can.

      I dont mind DirectX, in fact, I think it has a great niche for the PC gaming niche that windows PCs still hold title to. The problem is that Microsoft keeps trying to shoehorn their windows OS onto those other disparate device platforms. (Windows tablets and phones)

      Rather than just accept that the market has changed, microsoft desperately wants to remain "The" gatekeeper for all things digital, and it just wont happen. They should just accept that Enterprise PCs and PC gaming are their bitches, and social media and mobile computing are Apple's and Google's bitches, and just focus on what's in their box to make it the best possible offering in those categories.

      Instead, they keep trying to force this vision of "microsoft everywhere", and it's destroying them.

    6. Re:DirectX is obsolete by Kjella · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The developer has to support one or both. Most users don't care as long as everything works.

      And the developer generally means game engine developer, not game developer. If you want to write your own engine that's a pretty big job by itself.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    7. Re: DirectX is obsolete by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 5, Informative

      > I can't think of a single game today that uses OpenGL.

      Uh, HELLO McFly; Minecraft. That "insignificant" game that "only" sold 54+ million copies. ~18 MILLION on PC.

      > Why is that?

      Because you didn't even be bothered to spend 2 seconds to look

      Gee, what is Valve using on OSX, and Linux !?!? ... It sure as hell isn't Microsoft's Not-Inventered-Here RenderMorph's Reality Lab which they renamed to Direct3D

    8. Re:DirectX is obsolete by Wootery · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Microsoft WANTS directX to remain relevant in the modern multiplatform environment.

      PCs have 2 major remaining market niches:

      1) Enterprise(/educational) workstations (Like, for doing WORK on.)

      2) PC Gaming

      Those 2 count for quite a lot, though. I don't think Microsoft are too worried about Mac and Linux supplanting Windows for gaming. It could happen, but that's been the case for years now. The same goes for workstations.

    9. Re:DirectX is obsolete by PopeRatzo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      PCs have 2 major remaining market niches:

      1) Enterprise(/educational) workstations (Like, for doing WORK on.)
      2) PC Gaming)

      What does it say about us that we now consider "doing work" to be a niche?

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    10. Re:DirectX is obsolete by A+Friendly+Troll · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Sadly for them, Android beat them to the punch for "Affordable smartphone OS", while apple beat them to the punch for "Luxury smartphone OS". This leaves microsoft scrambling for marketshare in the smartphone space.

      So what's going to happen when WP hits 30% in Asia and South America? It's on its way there. In several European countries, WP is at ~12-14%. Windows 10 is going to make central phone management easier; want to guess what's going to happen with tens of millions of various employees being issued official company phones?

      WP is going to continue to grow, and iOS is going to continue to fall, until it becomes an irrelevant quirk.

      Having a US-centric view on reality isn't a very good thing.