DirectX facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
DirectX

Developer(s)	Microsoft
Initial release	September 30, 1995; 29 years ago (1995-09-30)
Stable release	12 Ultimate API / October 5, 2021; 3 years ago (2021-10-05)
Operating system	Microsoft Windows, Windows Phone 8, Dreamcast, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Linux (Gallium Nine) (DirectX 12 only, Exclusive to Windows Subsystem for Linux)
Type	API

Microsoft DirectX is a special collection of tools that helps computers handle things like games and videos. Think of it as a translator that lets your games talk directly to your computer's hardware, like the graphics card and sound card. This makes games run much smoother and look amazing!

The name "DirectX" comes from how these tools work. Each part of the collection started with "Direct," like Direct3D for 3D graphics or DirectSound for sound. The "X" was added as a short way to mean "all of these Direct tools." Later, when Microsoft made their game console, they named it Xbox because it used DirectX technology.

One of the most important parts of DirectX is Direct3D. This tool is used by almost all video games on Microsoft Windows computers and Xbox consoles to create amazing 3D graphics. It's so important that sometimes people use "DirectX" and "Direct3D" to mean the same thing!

DirectX comes with special files called "runtime libraries." These are like instructions that games need to run. Originally, you had to install them separately. But now, every version of Windows comes with DirectX already built-in. This makes it much easier for games to work right out of the box!

How DirectX Was Created

In the early 1990s, making games for Windows computers was really hard. Game developers preferred making games for MS-DOS because it allowed them to control the computer's hardware directly. Windows was too slow for games back then.

The "Beastie Boys" Project

Three engineers at Microsoft, Alex St. John, Craig Eisler, and Eric Engstrom, decided to change this. They wanted to make Windows a great place for games. Their secret project was even called the "Manhattan Project," just like the famous World War II project. They wanted to make computer games as popular as console games.

Their bosses didn't think games were important for Windows. But these three worked hard anyway, earning them the nickname "Beastie Boys."

Introducing the Game SDK

Within four months, they created the first set of tools. They showed them off at a big meeting for game developers in 1995. These tools included:

• DirectDraw for showing pictures on the screen.
• DirectSound for playing sounds.
• DirectPlay for connecting players over a network.
• DirectInput for joysticks and other game controllers.

They called it the "Game SDK" (Software Development Kit). The "Direct" part meant these tools could talk directly to the computer's hardware, making games much faster. A journalist later called it "DirectX," and the name stuck!

Early Success and Growth

The first version of DirectX came out in September 1995. To help it become popular, Microsoft even helped id Software bring their famous game Doom to Windows using DirectX. This game, called Doom 95, was the first game to use DirectX and was a huge success. Even Bill Gates appeared in ads for it!

By mid-1996, DirectX 2.0 was built into Windows. Microsoft worked hard to convince game developers that Windows was now a serious gaming platform. They even had a big party with a Roman theme and real lions to show off DirectX!

What DirectX Does

DirectX is made up of many different parts, each doing a specific job to help games and other programs run smoothly.

Key Components of DirectX

Here are some of the main parts of DirectX today:

• Direct3D (D3D): This is the most important part for making 3D graphics in games.
• Direct2D: Used for drawing 2D graphics, like menus and text.
• DirectWrite: Helps display text clearly on the screen.
• DirectCompute: Allows your graphics card to help with other complex calculations, not just graphics.
• DirectX Diagnostics (DxDiag): A helpful tool that checks your computer's DirectX setup and drivers.
• XAudio2: A tool for handling sounds in games.
• DirectX Raytracing (DXR): A newer tool that makes lighting and reflections in games look super realistic.
• DirectStorage: Helps games load faster by getting data directly from your storage to your graphics card.
• DirectML: Uses your graphics card to speed up machine learning and AI tasks.

Older DirectX Parts

Over time, some parts of DirectX have been replaced by newer, better tools. For example:

• DirectDraw was replaced by Direct2D.
• DirectInput for keyboards and mice was mostly replaced by XInput for Xbox controllers.
• DirectSound for audio was replaced by XAudio2.

DirectX Versions Over Time

DirectX has been updated many times since it first came out. Each new version brings improvements and new features for games and other applications.

DirectX 9

DirectX 9 was released in 2002. It brought big improvements, especially for how graphics cards handle "shaders," which are like tiny programs that control how things look. Many games still use DirectX 9, and it works on older versions of Windows like Windows XP.

DirectX 10

Microsoft DirectX 10 logo wordmark

DirectX 10 came out with Windows Vista in 2006. This was a major update that changed how DirectX worked with graphics cards. It made graphics even more detailed and realistic. DirectX 10 only works on Windows Vista and newer versions of Windows.

DirectX 11

Microsoft DirectX 11 logo wordmark

Microsoft showed off DirectX 11 in 2008, and it was released with Windows 7 in 2009. This version added features like "tessellation," which makes objects look smoother and more detailed. It also made it easier for games to use multiple processor cores in your computer, making them run faster. DirectX 11 is still widely used today.

DirectX 12

DirectX 12 was announced in 2014 and launched with Windows 10 in 2015. This version gives game developers much more control over how their games use your computer's hardware. This means games can run even faster and look better, especially on computers with multiple graphics cards.

DirectX 12 also introduced "DirectX Raytracing" (DXR) in 2018. This technology makes light and shadows in games incredibly realistic, almost like real life!

DirectX 12 Ultimate

DirectX 12 Ultimate logo

Released in 2020, DirectX 12 Ultimate is the newest version. It brings together the best features for both Windows 10 computers and the newest Xbox consoles. It includes improved ray tracing, "Variable Rate Shading" (which lets games focus detail where it matters most), and "Mesh Shaders" for even more detailed graphics.

DirectX Version History

Here's a quick look at the major DirectX versions:

How DirectX Works with Your Computer

DirectX needs to talk to your computer's hardware, like your graphics card and sound card. It does this using special programs called "device drivers." Hardware makers create these drivers to make sure their products work well with DirectX.

Older versions of DirectX were designed to work with older drivers. But with DirectX 10 and newer, the way drivers work changed a lot. This means that newer versions of DirectX need newer drivers to work properly.

DirectX and Other Programming Tools

Microsoft also created ways for programmers using other tools, like the .NET Framework, to use DirectX. One example was "Managed DirectX," but it's no longer supported.

Now, programmers can use the XNA Framework to make games easily with DirectX, especially for Xbox 360. There are also other open-source libraries like SlimDX and SharpDX that let programmers use DirectX with different programming languages.

Other Ways to Make Graphics and Games

DirectX is very popular, but it's not the only way to make games and graphics. There are other tools that do similar things, like:

• OpenGL: Another popular tool for 3D graphics that works on many different computer systems.
• Vulkan: A newer, very powerful graphics tool, similar to DirectX 12.
• SDL: A simple tool for making games and multimedia.
• OpenAL: A tool for 3D sound.

Many of these alternatives work on different types of computers, not just Windows.

Images for kids

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  DirectX 1.0–8.2 logo

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  DirectX 9.0 logo