Direct3D 10

Nobody, save for Microsoft I guess, knows at this point exactly what is going to happen with Direct3D 10 (or Windows Graphics Foundation, or Direct3D 10, whatever). Direct3D has been the guide for the gaming industry for many years now with OpenGL constantly playing catch-up. OpenGL was always there in the background being supported by this or that company but Direct3D set the pace and brought about each generation of visual quality improvements.

There have been some announcements about the next version of the Windows 3D graphics platform including the name change mentioned above. This has included hints that it might not be available to Windows XP users instead being bundled into Windows Vista (the next version of windows). I, however, can’t see this being the case. XP will be around for a while, its not like 98 or 2000 was, it is actually a usable OS. Microsoft has never been known for putting out an OS when they say they will so I suspect more delays to Vista and the back porting of certain technologies, including Direct3D, into XP. Robert X. Cringely of I, Cringely also predicts a delay to Vista in his article on what will happen in 2006.

There is an interesting article on GameDev.net that takes what is known about the next Direct3D and speculates on what isn’t. It is a good read for those who are into graphics and especially those into shader graphics. I am very curious about Geometry Shaders and how they will fit into the pipeline and back port into older cards. I will be keeping an eye on this and will make another post when more is known. Incidentally in the latest DirectX SDK there is a technology preview of Direct3D 10, however it requires Vista and uses a software renderer.