Unfortunately the way DirectX operates means the true potential of PC hardware gets blocked. Huddy says we need to ”drop the API” demon.
”It’s funny. We often have at least 10 times as much horsepower as an Xbox 360 or a PS3 in a high-end graphics card, yet it’s very clear that the games don’t look 10 times as good,” said AMD graphics card guy, Richard Huddy.
The PC is a raging storm but DirectX keeps us in a tea cup. ”To a significant extent that’s because, one way or another and for good reasons and bad - mostly good - DirectX is getting in the way.” DirectX 11 is the latest version of the API ‘hardware jailer’.
Microsoft develops DirectX for Windows, which is the undisputed lead operating system around the world. Consoles enjoy ‘direct-to-metal’ access when it comes to hardware which is how they squeeze out better performances over time.
”By giving you access to the hardware at the very low level, you give games developers a chance to innovate, and that’s going to put pressure on Microsoft – no doubt at all,” continued Huddy.
”If we drop the API, then people really can render everything they can imagine, not what they can see – and we’ll probably see more visual innovation in that kind of situation.”
Crysis developer Crytek is one such PC developer who’d enjoy experimenting with this ‘direct-to-metal’ method. ”Yes, that would appeal to us,” said the studio. Xbox 360 supports DirectX 9.0c while PS3 doesn’t include the Microsoft API. Free our hardware!
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