So DirectX 12 was showcased during this year's Game Developer's Conference. New information has indicated that the API is aiming to work like a low-level access tool for developers, possibly as Microsoft's attempt to compete with AMD's Mantle.
Gaming Bolt did a nice rundown of the new info that came out of Microsoft's DirectX presentation, where they revealed that the new API will be better optimized to bring CPU utilization down by more than 50%, even for the Xbox One. That's great news for CPU intensive games. It's too bad the Xbox One's problems aren't CPU intensive.
I'll get back to the Xbox One utilization in a bit.
DirectX 12 will also be fine-tuned for mobile and multi-GPU use. This means that the Glorious PC Master Race members running two or three different graphics processing units, either in SLI or CrossFire, will be able to see massive performance gains from DirectX 12 (theoretically). Some of you might know that when running a lot of DX-reliant games either in Xfire or SLI, you sometimes get worse performance than when running on a single card. Supposedly, DirectX 12 will fix this issue and finally stabilize compatibility for those of us who like to pump out twice the amount of power with multiple GPUs.
One of the things that really bothers me, though, is that despite DX12 being designed for mobile processing units and the latest tablet-based APUs, there's no word that DX12 will be made to support Windows 7, very much like DirectX 11.2. Technically, this makes absolutely zero sense that you would have an API designed for mobile devices – many of them running Android operating systems – but it won't be available for Windows 7? Seriously? The only reason I can see this being done is to force adoption of Windows 8, which will be the primary platform for DirectX 12, alongside other metro-based operating systems, like the Xbox One and devices running Smartglass.
Microsoft also demoed Forza 5 (a game that's already running 1080p at 60fps) on a GTX Titan Black at 60fps to show the power and compatibility of DX12, as reported by WCCF Tech, but that seems like a moot point. Unless they reversed the effects of The Forzaning, I don't think anyone cares.
Now, of course, a lot of the MisterXMedia followers have been clamoring to this news like jackal's on lion meat, or maggots on a dog turd, constantly waiting for some confirmation of the Xbox One's “Banana Surprise”. The reality? There is no “Banana Surprise”... at all. In fact, Microsoft's director of product planning, Albert Penello, made it known on Twitter that there is no “Banana Surprise”, once and for all.
The only thing the system has left is DirectX 12. And even though DirectX 12 may be designed to increase efficiency for GPUs – which may or may not help the Xbox One achieve closer parity to the PS4 when it comes to resolution output – the effects of the API won't be made available for SDK use, and subsequently available for game design, until the holiday season of 2015. That's right... 2015.
Now even if you want to hold out hope until then, you'll still have to come to terms with another cake-bursting revelation: games being designed with DirectX 12, from the ground up, won't make it to the market until holiday 2016 at the earliest, and you won't see the effects in full-blown AAA titles until about late 2016 (at the earliest) or mid 2017. I'm sure you guys can hang onto your 720p resolutions and sub-30fps gameplay until then... right? Right?
