DirectX is Microsoft’s API for 3D graphics programming. DirectX enables developers to write applications that run on Windows PCs and Xbox One consoles.
In this blog post, we’ll explain how to install DirectX 8.1 on your computer so that you can use it to play games like Call of Duty Black Ops 4, Forza Horizon 5, and Gears of War 4.
Get the download here
How to install DirectX 8.1 on your computer to play games
- Download Direct X 8.1
Downloading DirectX 8.1 is pretty straightforward. Just visit directx.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id39787 and follow the instructions.
You’ll also find links to download the latest version of DirectX SDK, which contains all the tools needed to build apps that make use of DirectX APIs.
- Install Visual Studio 2015
Visual Studio 2015 is required to compile DirectX code. After installing Visual Studio, launch it and select **Create Project** from the menu bar.
Select **Windows Desktop** under **New Project**, enter **DirectX Game Sample** for the name, and click **OK**.
- Build the project
This will compile the source files and produce an executable named dxgamedemo.exe.
- Run the application
Run the exe file to test out DirectX.
Features of DirectX 8.1 for PC
DirectX is Microsoft’s software development kit (SDK), which provides developers access to low level APIs and features required to write games or applications for Windows platforms. DirectX 8.1 was released in April 2017, bringing some improvements to the API. Here are some of the key changes introduced in DirectX 8.1:
- DirectDraw Surface Creation Improvements
In previous versions of DirectX, creating surfaces was a very slow process. With DirectX 8.1, surface creation performance has been improved significantly.
- Support for Multi-GPU Systems
With multi-GPU systems becoming increasingly popular, DirectX now supports multiple GPUs on single system.
- Improved Memory Management
Memory management has also been improved in DirectX 8.1.
- Support for OpenGL 4.x
OpenGL 4.x support has been added to DirectX 8.1. OpenGL is a cross platform graphics library developed by Khronos Group.
- Support for Vulkan 1.0
Vulkan is another open source graphics API developed by Khronos group. Vulkan is a next generation graphics API that allows game developers to target both desktop and mobile devices.
- Support for DXGI 2.0
DXGI 2.0 is a set of interfaces that allow direct access to hardware accelerated rendering functionality provided by modern video adapters.
- Support for WDDM 1.2
WDDM 1.2 is an interface specification that defines a common programming model for accessing display adapter resources.
- Support for D3D12
Does DirectX improve FPS?
DirectX is a software development kit (SDK) used by game developers to write games and applications that run on Microsoft Windows operating systems.
It was originally developed by Microsoft Corporation and released in 1996. Since its release, DirectX has been updated several times.
In 2019, DirectX 12 was introduced.
Microsoft claims that DirectX 12 improves performance over previous versions of DirectX.
However, some gamers claim that DirectX makes little difference when compared to other graphics APIs like OpenGL.
## What Is DXGI? ##
DXGI stands for Direct X Graphics Interface.
It is a set of interfaces that allow programmers to access hardware acceleration features provided by the GPU.
These interfaces were first introduced in version 9 of DirectX.
They are also known as Dxgi1 and Dxgi2.
## How Does DXGI Compare To Other Graphics Interfaces? ##
OpenGL is another popular API that allows programmers to access hardware acceleration.
Unlike DirectX, however, OpenGL is open source.
That means anyone can modify the code and build their own version of OpenGL.
Because of this, OpenGL is very flexible and supports a wide range of platforms.
On the other hand, DirectX is proprietary.
Conclusion
DirectX is a software development toolkit that helps game developers create programs that run on Windows computers. It includes APIs that enable programmers to access low level functions and features of the GPU.
You can download DirectX 8.1 from Microsoft’s website. It will enable you to play games like Call Of Duty Black Ops 4, Gears of War 4, and Forza Horizon 5.
Sandhy