Thursday, July 4th 2013
DirectX 11.2 Exclusive to Windows 8.1 and Xbox One
Our recent editorial on adoption of Windows 8.1 by PC enthusiasts concluded saying "...and Microsoft isn't stopping with its innovations that will get increasingly out of reach for Windows 7 users." It looks like the first of such innovations is DirectX 11.2. Microsoft revealed that the latest version of its multimedia API will require Windows 8.1 on the PC, and comes built into its next-generation Xbox One console. With this, Microsoft established that you will need Windows 8.1 or later, to access future versions of DirectX.
Microsoft has often used the tactic of limiting DirectX versions to certain versions of Windows, often citing driver-model changes, to force PC enthusiasts to either upgrade, or lag behind in PC technology, and in the past it worked. Windows XP capped out at DirectX 9.0c, forcing gamers to upgrade to Windows Vista, to experience cutting-edge games of the time, such as "Crysis," with new visual effects that DirectX 10 brought to the scene. DirectX 11.0 had the unique distinction of spanning across Windows Vista and Windows 7. DirectX 11.1 was exclusive to Windows 8 and above, as it required WDDM 1.2 (Windows display driver model). The Direct3D component of the API didn't bring anything substantial to the scene. With Windows 8.1, Microsoft is introducing DirectX 11.2, it requires WDDM 1.3, which the operating system introduces. Since Windows 8.1 will be offered as a free upgrade to current Windows 8 users, it's effectively the Windows 7 user-base, that's being asked to take a hike.
DirectX 11.2 introduces a few new Direct3D features that could matter to games. The "D3D tiled resources" feature is analogous to OpenGL MegaTexture, implemented on id Software's "Rage." The feature offers a better alternative to the current model of streaming textures as a 3D scene is being rendered; by letting developers use larger textures that are fewer in number. Portions of these giant monolithic textures would be accessed by an application, as they become relevant to the scene being rendered. The complete texture needn't be loaded to the memory. In essence, mega-textures heralds a sort of virtual memory system to GPUs, and shifts the focus from increasingly larger video memory to faster memory.
With Windows 7 user-base being cut out from DirectX 11.2, game developers may think twice before spending time to implement D3D tiled resources, but there's also Xbox One to consider. DirectX 11.2 is at the heart of the console, and Microsoft could recommend developers to take advantage of tiled resources, to optimally use the console's limited hardware resources. That could hasten the adoption of DirectX 11.2 by developers, on the PC front.
Among the features DirectX 11.2 introduces are:
Sources:
Microsoft, NextPowerUp
Microsoft has often used the tactic of limiting DirectX versions to certain versions of Windows, often citing driver-model changes, to force PC enthusiasts to either upgrade, or lag behind in PC technology, and in the past it worked. Windows XP capped out at DirectX 9.0c, forcing gamers to upgrade to Windows Vista, to experience cutting-edge games of the time, such as "Crysis," with new visual effects that DirectX 10 brought to the scene. DirectX 11.0 had the unique distinction of spanning across Windows Vista and Windows 7. DirectX 11.1 was exclusive to Windows 8 and above, as it required WDDM 1.2 (Windows display driver model). The Direct3D component of the API didn't bring anything substantial to the scene. With Windows 8.1, Microsoft is introducing DirectX 11.2, it requires WDDM 1.3, which the operating system introduces. Since Windows 8.1 will be offered as a free upgrade to current Windows 8 users, it's effectively the Windows 7 user-base, that's being asked to take a hike.
DirectX 11.2 introduces a few new Direct3D features that could matter to games. The "D3D tiled resources" feature is analogous to OpenGL MegaTexture, implemented on id Software's "Rage." The feature offers a better alternative to the current model of streaming textures as a 3D scene is being rendered; by letting developers use larger textures that are fewer in number. Portions of these giant monolithic textures would be accessed by an application, as they become relevant to the scene being rendered. The complete texture needn't be loaded to the memory. In essence, mega-textures heralds a sort of virtual memory system to GPUs, and shifts the focus from increasingly larger video memory to faster memory.
With Windows 7 user-base being cut out from DirectX 11.2, game developers may think twice before spending time to implement D3D tiled resources, but there's also Xbox One to consider. DirectX 11.2 is at the heart of the console, and Microsoft could recommend developers to take advantage of tiled resources, to optimally use the console's limited hardware resources. That could hasten the adoption of DirectX 11.2 by developers, on the PC front.
Among the features DirectX 11.2 introduces are:
- HLSL shader linking
- Inbox HLSL compiler
- GPU overlay support
- DirectX tiled resources
- Direct3D low-latency presentation API
- DXGI Trim API and map default buffer
- Frame buffer scaling
- Multithreading with SurfaceImageSource
- Interactive Microsoft DirectX composition of XAML visual elements
- Direct2D batching with SurfaceImageSource
192 Comments on DirectX 11.2 Exclusive to Windows 8.1 and Xbox One
It's also a bit of a straw-man argument that because Windows has provided "THOUSANDS" of hours of entertainment and a platform to complain about problems, that all is right with it and that it has no irredeemable qualities.
It's all bullshit to try to get people to upgrade to the latest and "greatest" version. Not that it really matters to me, because I got Windows 8 free through TechNet anyway, I'm merely standing on principle here. I was forced to upgrade from Vista to 7, when I didn't want to, because Microsoft wouldn't patch TRIM support into Vista and I'd just bought an SSD, plus I desperately needed a more stable file transferring system. It sucked trying to transfer large files, because if I brought up another window it would cause Explorer to lock up and not show me transfer progress, so I had no idea if my transfers were failing or continuing as normal and would just have to wait to see if it finished or not. That and the whole mainstream support cycle ending was looming overhead and I didn't want to risk any security holes that MS would be lazy over patching.
TL;DR: It's got nothing to do with drivers, it's just then trying to force people to upgrade. Just look back at DirectX's history and see for yourselves.
Also Xbox One could outship PS4 3-to-1 this year so the "huge user backlash" is likely coming from people that aren't likely to buy an Xbone in the first place.
I said developers would use 11.2 because it is the easiest conversion path from Xbone to Windows; however, I also said that they would likely offer "backwards compatibility" too, most likely down to at least DirectX 11.0 because that's where most of the current customers are.
TL;DR: Microsoft is paving the way for the future; developers will use what they want.Yes it does. Windows 8.1 = WDDM 1.3 = Direct3D 11.2: requires compatible hardware/drivers with all of the above to function with all of the above.
Since Microsoft is offering 8.1 as a downloaded update to 8, there's likely no hardware changes required to upgrade the driver to WDDM 1.3; however, as will all previous versions of Direct3D, the hardware must support it in order to use it.
People are only "forced" to upgrade if a developer decides to support only Direct3D 11.2 and these "people" must play the game. It's no different than when people were "forced" to upgrade to Windows Vista (or newer) to play Direct3D 10 games.
So yeah, you'll forgive me if I don't believe everything Microsoft says. Hindsight tells me that they lie through their teeth.
WDDM 1.3 = Windows 8.1
WDDM 1.2 = Windows 8
WDDM 1.1 = Windows 7
WDDM 1.0 = Windows Vista
XDDM = Windows 2000/XP
Prior to this, displays didn't have a discreet driver model. See VxD, Windows Driver Model, and Windows NT Driver Model.
Remember, we're talking about drivers here. Even an older card like a GeForce 8800 GT which was originally designed for WDDM 1.0 can work on Windows 8.1 provided NVIDIA releases a WDDM 1.3 driver for it. Here is the caveat though: In Microsoft's documentation, they said Windows 8.1 requires a WDDM 1.3 driver. If NVIDIA didn't release an updated driver for 8800 GT for WDDM 1.3, the card wouldn't work for Windows 8.1.
I just checked, NVIDIA already released a WDDM 1.3 driver for the 8800 GT so you can use that old card with Windows 8.1. It's really no different than XDDM in that regard: the drivers aren't backwards compatible but they can make old display devices work on new operating systems if updated.
WDDM is all about adding new intrinsic display features to the operating system. It has little to do with the hardware itself and most to do with manufacturers providing forwards compatibility for older hardware.
Do some research on WDDM for why Microsoft released new versions of it. All of them are pretty significant changes (e.g. WDDM overrides a full screen application when pressing ctrl+alt+del where XDDM did not).
Direct3D 10 is not, was not, and never will be compatible with XDDM (Windows XP). WDDM is largely what made Direct3D 10 what it is (more efficient, more capable). Direct3D 10 debuted over five years ago. Now virtually all new games use it or one of its derivatives.
Halo 2 had DRM to allow it to only install on Windows Vista. Crackers removed the DRM and thus, removed its Vista-only lock. Halo 2 was a Direct3D 9.0c game so the DRM was the only obstacle to making it work.
Now, try to run a game like Stormrise on XP which is Direct3D 10 exclusive. DRM or not, it's not going to work.
As if the above wasn't enough, let's talk about why WDDM 1.3 and Direct3D 11.2 are tied together. The major feature Direct3D 11.2 adds is the ability to have gigantic images and have Direct3D only load parts of that image into the video memory for rendering. This basically means virtual memory (in the main RAM or HDD/SDD) to artificially expand how much video memory is present. This is a WDDM issue, hence 1.3; but it is also a graphics card issue because to accomplish that goal, they need a plethora of new commands for the GPU. Add to it the fact that Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 don't know what to do with a WDDM 1.3 driver (the new features like partially caching huge images), if you want Direct3D 11.2, you need at least Direct3D 11.2 hardware and Windows 8.1 (including WDDM 1.3 display driver) software.
Yes, it is complicated but what Microsoft is doing here is really nothing out of the ordinary. WDDM 1.3 drivers are widely available already and no one is going to care much about Direct3D 11.2 for several years anyway (which is normal).
That made me laugh, and almost choke.
Now, back to lurking.