M$ and Khronos responding to Mantle?

Possibly more changes afoot in the low-level graphics API space?

AnandTech | Low Level Graphics API Developments @ GDC 2014?

Mantle no more? GDC sessions point to the next DirectX - The Tech Report

 

and they'll make it windows 9 exclusive

 

If everything goes to plan Windows 9 will be the true successor to Windows 7, and something worth upgrading from XP. Fingers crossed.

This being said, MS/Khronos is only doing this because Mantle.

 

windows needs to release windows classic or some variant thereof, I'm tired and sick of these crappy metro styled windows themes.


it all started from windows vista and went downhill.

 

Windows 3.x = good
Windows 95 = bad
Windows 98 = good
Windows ME = bad
Windows XP = good
Windows Vista = bad
Windows 7 = good
Windows 8 = bad
Windows 9 = good?

Though it might not be called Windows 9 to avoid confusion with Windows 95/98.

 

It's your opinion. for me, no question it's the best so far.

 

You are of the vast minority, that's for sure. And those OS's are not really based on opinion, but market share, sales, and public reception. And I wouldn't say Windows 95 was bad, it just was rough at the start, but Windows 98 just made it so much better.

 

What about Windows 2000 Pro, IMO the best OS M$ has ever released?

 

Under the hood, 8.1 blows away Win 7.. Everyone is just upset about metro and no start menu. I for one am glad start is gone, and booting straight to desktop means I never see metro.

 

How does it "blow away" Windows 7?

 

Wow, that went off track fast...

 

Well apparently people don't care about topic in OP and just want rehash the same old M$/Windows 8 diatribe despite the fact that it gets tireder and tireder with each passing thread.

 

I'd be OK if they make it a Windows 9 exclusive, although there will likely be no reason to. And I don't care WHY they're doing it as long as they do it. A ground up rebuild of DirectX is long overdue.

 

It needs to be a Windows 9, especially since people will need a proper reason to upgrade to Windows 9 anyways, and this could be one of them. Remember, XP only supported DX9, all the gamers eventually moved to Vista/7 because of DX10/11, and Windows 9 should follow.

 

Apologies I'll stop discussing windows versions..

I am truly excited to see MS optimize DX. Win for all.

 

I wonder if the OpenGL stuff is because of the push of Steam OS/Linux? I wonder if Steam OS/Linux will truely become viable for PC gamers.

 

Oh you can bet that DX11.x or DX12 or whatever it will be called will be only released on Windows 8+.
Perfect opportunity to get improve the poor sales statistics of Windows 8. And im all for it if they release a PC version without Metro. It need to be deleted and forgotten

 

If Valve sticks to their guns then it has a fighting chance. Just need enough developers on board to get the ball rolling. I mean most games are developed for 3, 4, 5 or more platforms anyhow. And adding Linux wouldn't be a huge stretch from PC. Just need the required resources for the proper port, and if there would be enough sales to justify it. I think Valve themselves need to step up and develop their next few games for the SteamOS, ahem, HALF-LIFE 3!!! And maybe even subsidize the development costs the games of some of their partners.

If MS streamlines DirectX then it would be tougher to convince people to use SteamOS if the performance isn't nearly as good.

 

I look forward to the updates as we get new information. It will be interesting to see what they improve in Directx as well as OpenGL. And of course we all hope for big performance improvements. I hope this is bigger than just Mantle level improvements.

 

The performance improvements won't be as great as Mantle because Mantle is closer to the metal, but the benefit of D3D and especially OpenGL is their ubiquity.

 

So the cat's out of the bag. DirectX 12 will be unveiled at GDC: AnandTech | DirectX 12 to Be Unveiled At GDC 2014

Next OpenGL version (5.x?) surely to follow.

My observations:

This was definitely a knee-jerk reaction to Mantle and the recent Valve/Steam initiatives. Thank goodness for Mantle!

DX12 is still a long way off and there won't be much, if anything, to show for it at GDC since it can't have been in development for very long.

It won't be released until 2016 at the earliest since that is when Nvidia's next GPU µarch Volta is projected to come out. Since Maxwell for sure won't support it (it doesn't even support the full DX11.1 and 11.2 spec), there is no chance that M$ will release DX12 during Maxwell's lifetime as there would be no hardware capable of running it.

If it really is much more low-level and CTM as has been claimed, I expect a large departure from DX10/11 and being exclusive to Windows 9 as a result.

This is more of a roadmap announcement similar to what Intel/Nvidia/AMD do with their CPU's and GPU's which have a multi-year development cycle and are planned well in advance.

 

That's again your opinion. I've read far more positive feedback about Windows 8.1. People who actually use it from what I've seen prefer it over Windows 7. It's only a few a stubborn like you complain for really stupid reasons, like the new start menu, which can easily be solved. The complaints I've seen for Windows 8.1 make little sense to me. But that's why they are opinions not facts. Outside NBR Windows 8.1 has been reviewed favorably. Majority of reason for Windows 8.1 low sales is not about the OS itself, PC sales have just been non-existent as people just buy tablets instead.

Just to troll the whiners I hope all new updates and improvements coming for gaming and graphics will be Windows 8.1 exclusives.

 

Just to troll Windows 8 apologists like you I hope they are Windows 9 exclusives.

\m/ <(-_-)> \m/

 

I loved it when Microsoft talked about DX10 being the last version they ever made.

 

So apparently Xbox One will support DX12 (see bottom left):



But what does this mean? That DX12 will be supported by current GCN cards like the Xbox One GPU since it greatly imitates Mantle (confirmed by sources here)? But I thought consoles were already coded to the metal, so why does Xbox One need a high-level API such as DirectX?

 

Hope this is true. I may not have to buy another laptop for another year. Yay!

 

Probably longer as DX12 is at least a year or two out.

 

I have to keep it another year anyway, so maybe I can keep the itch down another year after that if mantle and DX12 impress.