Microsoft Announces DirectX 12 at GDC
With DirectX 12 comes a new version of the Direct3D API. Microsoft promises it’s faster and more efficient than ever and is calling this ‘the API [we’ve] been waiting for.’ With support for PCs, laptops, Windows Phone devices, and Microsoft’s own Xbox One console (of course), Direct3D 12 boasts a lower level of hardware abstraction for improved multithread scaling and CPU utilization. There’s also reduced GPU overhead and a set of new rendering pipeline features that improve algorithm efficiency. Microsoft offered verification of performance improvements via 3DMark. That showed a 50 percent improvement in CPU utilization as well as improved distribution of work among threads.
Nvidia says it will support the DX12 API on all the DX11-class GPUs shipped so far, including those belonging to the Fermi, Kepler and Maxwell architectural families. Though DX12 will compete with AMD’s own Mantle API, AMD was at Microsoft’s session and Raja Kadouri did confirm DirectX 12 support for AMD’s GCN hardware.
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Unfortunately PC gaming does not drive the industry. I really wish it did. Yes consoles take our hardware now and use it but neither the PS4 nor XB1 support Mantle. The XB1 supports DX12 and the PS4 is OpenGL.
We have no news if the PS4 will support the next OpenGL (the one that should also add in low level hardware support). That means the XB1 could gain an edge over the PS4 and since consoles do drive the gaming market more, so I am willing to be we wont see much more from Mantle unless AMD opens it to NVidia as well.
Look at it this way, is a game dev going to utilize a API on the PC that is currently only for GCN and also requires AMD to update the driver for support or an API that will work on the XB1, PC and across all current DX11 hardware that is out there?
My bet goes for DirectX 12.
As for Windows support, I think they will add 7 support. While I like 8.1, as it is a better OS from a technical standpoint, 7 still has a much larger user base and probably will since, well people are against change.
Of course we will have to wait and see.
is there announcement about Unreal Engine going to support mantle API? about frostbite 3 and cryengine the engine might support the API (mantle) but in the end it depends on game developer itself to utilize it or not. while the idea behind mantle is nice to actually implement it will require extra resource since developer still need to make their game for directx since it only work with select few of amd gpu. honestly i want to see game developre to implement Mantle without any tied to AMD Gaming Evolved or sponsorship from AMD.
and about directx 12 it is interesting to see that nvidia will make it available to all their DX11 gpu (means from Fermi onwards) but AMD only make GCN based gpu available to DX12. why they did not include their 5k and 6k series which is also DX11 gpu?