What is DirectX, and why does it matter for gaming?

DirectX lets developers unlock the full potential of your computer's hardware.



DirectX first made its debut back in 1996, and it forms the basis for why Windows dominates gaming. When the feature was first rolled out back on Windows 95, it allowed game developers access to low-level hardware features, allowing them to fine-tune games.

DirectX is a big deal, because without it there would be no way for games to access the hardware on Windows. Unlike a console like the Xbox One — where there's a single video card — Windows gives you a plethora of choice when it comes to hardware configurations. With options ranging from the budget GeForce GTX 1660 all the way to the $1,430 GeForce RTX 2080 Ti along with hundreds of motherboards and chipsets, there's limitless choice when you're building a new PC.

This makes it harder for PC game developers, as they have to fine-tune settings and textures for a wide variety of configurations. That's where DirectX comes in handy. The feature allow...