The latest release, DirectX 10, was released exclusively as part of Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows Vista in late 2006.ĭirectX 10, an extensive update to DirectX, introduced Shader Model 4 among many other changes aimed at providing greatly improved rendering capabilities in Microsoft’s Vista operating system. Since then, every new release of Windows has seen the inclusion of a new version of DirectX. In 1996, Microsoft released version 2.0a of DirectX for its Windows 95 operating system. As time has gone by, these technologies and others have all become part of the DirectX collection. Originally launched in 1995, DirectX consists of various advanced programming interfaces (APIs) such as Direct3D, DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay and DirectSound.

The Technology and how it worksĭirectX is a collection of graphics technologies designed to deliver an advanced, stable, and visually impressive graphics experience on Microsoft platforms. This HEXUS.help guide explains DirectX 10, which graphics cards support it, how they work and what the consumer’s choices are.

Directx 10.1 download