DX12

DirectX 12 (DX12) is a low-level graphics API from Microsoft for Windows and Xbox platforms. Released with Windows 10 in 2015, it marks a shift from the older DirectX 11 driver model by giving developers explicit control over GPU resources, memory lifetimes, and synchronization. The design aims to reduce CPU overhead and improve scaling across multi-core CPUs, enabling higher rendering throughput on modern GPUs.

Core concepts include command lists and queues for parallel command generation, pipeline state objects to encapsulate rendering state, and descriptor heaps and tables for resource binding. The API emphasizes explicit resource management and synchronization, with developers responsible for lifetime management, memory residency, and synchronization barriers. DX12 interoperates with DXGI for adapter enumeration and swap-chain management.

DX12 supports a range of advanced features, including real-time ray tracing via DirectX Raytracing (DXR), variable-rate shading, and, with the DX12 Ultimate extension, mesh shaders and other hardware-accelerated capabilities. These features enable more efficient rendering, more flexible shading, and improved performance on capable GPUs.

Platform availability covers Windows 10 and later, Windows 11, and Xbox One and Series X/S, with ongoing updates to tooling and compilers. A number of GPU vendors implement DX12 support across generations, and developers use High-Level Shading Language (HLSL) with Shader Model 6.x to write shaders. DirectX 12 competes with Vulkan and Apple's Metal as modern low-level graphics APIs.

DX12 has become the foundation of many contemporary PC and console graphics pipelines, emphasizing performance and control at the cost of increased programming complexity. It remains a core element of Microsoft's graphics strategy for Windows and Xbox ecosystems.