Microsoft Confirms Long-Overdue DirectX 12 Will Be Unveiled At GDC

Microsoft Confirms Long-Overdue DirectX 12 Will Be Unveiled At GDC

Microsoft has confirmed the existence of DirectX 12. As expected, it will be unveiled at GDC 2014 on March 20. It would appear that all the usual suspects are already on board — the use of their logos on the DirectX 12 website strongly suggests that AMD, Nvidia, Intel, and Qualcomm are all preparing DX12 hardware. Considering DX10 was released in 2006, and DX11 was released in 2009, DX12 is incredibly overdue. All signs point to DirectX 12 being a direct competitor to AMD’s recently released Mantle API, and in all likelihood will stymie AMD’s attempt to gain a critical mass of game developers.

At this point, we don’t know a whole lot about DirectX 12, other than the title and descriptions of a few sessions at the annual Game Developers Conference. The main talk, where we believe Microsoft will formally unveil DirectX 12, is called “DirectX: Evolving Microsoft’s Graphics Platform” and has the following description:

For nearly 20 years, DirectX has been the platform used by game developers to create the fastest, most visually impressive games on the planet. However, you asked us to do more. You asked us to bring you even closer to the metal and to do so on an unparalleled assortment of hardware. You also asked us for better tools so that you can squeeze every last drop of performance out of your PC, tablet, phone and console. Come learn our plans to deliver.

Another session, dubbed Direct3D Futures, will discuss “future improvements in Direct3D that will allow developers an unprecedented level of hardware control and reduced CPU rendering overhead across a broad ecosystem of hardware.” In short, it sounds like DirectX 12 will copy a lot of the functionality that’s present in AMD’s Mantle API. There might be a lot more to DirectX 12, but we simply won’t know until March 20.

Where this leaves AMD, we’re not sure. In an official statement, AMD said it “supports and celebrates” efforts that help game developers get closer to the bare metal. Even if Mantle is stillborn due to DirectX 12, AMD still stands to gain market share if its graphics cards implement these low-level APIs better than Nvidia or Intel. It stands to reason that, if DX12 is a direct response to Mantle, it will probably very closely imitate Mantle’s API calls — which means AMD could have the edge when it comes to developing DX12-compatible GPUs.

It’s also interesting to see Qualcomm’s logo up there with the other big boys. It does make sense, though, given the market’s overwhelming shift towards mobile, and Microsoft’s personal interests in Surface RT and Windows Phone, both of which are powered exclusively by Qualcomm. This is probably a strong hint that DX12 will contain features that are specifically tuned towards tablets and smartphones — a first for the DirectX/Direct3D platform.

Stay tuned for March 20. We’ll have more data as soon as Microsoft takes to the stage at GDC.