Microsoft brings DirectX 12 into Windows 7 with World of Warcraft
Microsoft has implemented support for some of the features of the DirectX12 API in World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth, even in conjunction with Windows 7 operating systems.
It is an extremely interesting announcement made by Microsoft on its official blog: World of Warcraft has support for the DirectX 12 API starting from the end of 2018 in combination with the Windows 10 operating systems, and now Blizzard has implemented some the specific features of the DirectX 12 API also in the version for Windows 7 operating system thanks to a game update.
Microsoft, at Blizzard’s request, has ported the D3D12 runtime user mode within Windows 7, allowing developers to implement specific features of the DirectX 12 API even for those players who have not yet switched to the Windows 10 operating system.
The new 8.1.5 patch of World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth, enables this game to use the DirectX 12 API even with Windows 7 operating system.
Microsoft states that this allows for an increase in overall performance, although the best use the DirectX 12 API is the one linked to the Windows 10 operating system due to the specific optimizations it contains.
Microsoft has also anticipated being at work with other game developers to implement support for DirectX 12 games with the Windows 7 operating system.
Their number does not seem to be high (Microsoft specifies a few other game developers), but it is definitely interesting to see how the company has chosen to want to support the use of the new features of the DirectX 12 API within an operating system that is destined to be abandoned over the next few years.
In less than 1 year, Microsoft will suspend the supply of free security patches for users of the Windows 7 operating system. The company wants to push these users to upgrade to Windows 10, so as to ensure that in the long run is only, or almost, Windows 10 the operating system used and to be supported. It is significant that Microsoft wants to offer this type of support.
In any case, it is advisable to specify how Microsoft is not making the DirectX 12 APIs available with the Windows 7 operating system, but working with specific games developers to implement some of the features also in conjunction with this OS.
An event certainly not expected, that thinking about the progressive exit from the market of Windows 7 seems to be at least strange but that shows a remarkable attention both to Windows 7 users and to game developers.
