Microsoft Brings DirectX 12 To Windows 7

[Kenrou]

https://www.anandtech.com/show/14078/microsoft-brings-dx12-to-windows-7

"Microsoft has posted an update on their DirectX Blog announcing that they’ve brought a form of DirectX 12 to Windows 7, via official support for the latest DX12 version of World of Warcraft on Windows 7."

"Now before you get too excited, this is currently only enabled for World of Warcraft; and indeed it's not slated to be a general-purpose solution like DX12 on Win10. Instead, Microsoft has stated that they are working with a few other developers to bring their DX12 games/backends to Windows 7 as well. As a consumer it’s great to see them supporting their product ten years after it launched, but with the entire OS being put out to pasture in nine months, it seems like an odd time to be dedicating resources to bringing it new features... Microsoft does say that DX12 will offer more features on Windows 10, which makes sense since the graphics stack was designed for it right from the start, but if you do play World of Warcraft on Windows 7, you’re going to get a free performance boost. You may still want to look into getting off of Windows 7 soon though, since this isn’t going to move the January 2020 end-of-support date back for gamers."

 

[Alaric]

No love for you W 8/8.1 guys??? That's cold, man. LOL

 

[Kenrou]

1st thing that came to mind when I read the article - "hah now all those that say that WoW is dead-end relic will have to think twice before complaining - here it is better then ever, bringing new tech to an older Windows... a tech that most games don't use... and never really worked properly on most of the games that do use it... on an end of life OS....................... CURSES !!!"

View attachment 204875

 

[Alaric]

Maybe it's a goodbye kiss from M$. Yours is coming soon enough. LOL

 

[TransformedBG]

Well they did also say they were going to support windows 7 for a cost... doubling each year for enterprise users maybe they all play wow?

#Windows7ForLife #NextYearGunnaSuck #StayOffTheInternet

 

[Alaric]

That offer is only for Enterprise and Pro versions, with multiple license deals. The desktop consumers don't even get the opportunity to get ripped off. LOL The US Navy pays a fortune for XP support.

 

[habbajabba]

World of Warcraft 'bout says it all. They bring NOTHING to the table AGAIN.

 

[trents]

https://www.anandtech.com/show/14078/microsoft-brings-dx12-to-windows-7

"Microsoft has posted an update on their DirectX Blog announcing that they’ve brought a form of DirectX 12 to Windows 7, via official support for the latest DX12 version of World of Warcraft on Windows 7."

"Now before you get too excited, this is currently only enabled for World of Warcraft; and indeed it's not slated to be a general-purpose solution like DX12 on Win10. Instead, Microsoft has stated that they are working with a few other developers to bring their DX12 games/backends to Windows 7 as well. As a consumer it’s great to see them supporting their product ten years after it launched, but with the entire OS being put out to pasture in nine months, it seems like an odd time to be dedicating resources to bringing it new features... Microsoft does say that DX12 will offer more features on Windows 10, which makes sense since the graphics stack was designed for it right from the start, but if you do play World of Warcraft on Windows 7, you’re going to get a free performance boost. You may still want to look into getting off of Windows 7 soon though, since this isn’t going to move the January 2020 end-of-support date back for gamers."

This! Why microsoft would spend money to bring DX12 to some games just doesn't make sense to me for a dying OS.

 

[Kenrou]

Why microsoft would spend money to bring DX12 to some games just doesn't make sense to me for a dying OS.

Compromise of sorts because they are seeing the trend of people dumping on Win10 and sticking to Win7 and then Win8.1 before being forced to upgrade? Or they are testing to see how well they can take DX12 to other OS?

 

[Alaric]

I think they're throwing us (W7 users) a bone, hoping to get ahead (somewhat) of what are sure to be screaming fits the width and breadth of the internet when they declare W7 officially "dead". Or at least taken off life support. Everyone knows it's scheduled, and when it's scheduled, and that won't stop a goodly portion of the owners of 37% of the world's computers from flipping the #@*! out when it happens. I'm hoping they aren't too embarrassing to the rest of us but I'm not betting my lunch money on it.

 

[EarthDog]

Cool! But too little too late? And only one title?

Doesnt support end soon in that OS?


34% use W7 according to the link below and it has been trending down for at least a year. A year ago it was similar share, currently there is nearly a 20% gap.
http://gs.statcounter.com/os-version-market-share/windows/desktop/worldwide

 

[Alaric]

My numbers were from January, so not current, but I'd be surprised if they lost 3% since then. That's close to 3 million computers. I suppose it's possible W 10 has a 20+% lead, but it seems fishy. Since Microsoft is probably the only place that actually knows how many of each there are, we'll likely never really know. Are they counting pirated versions of each? Of one? Of neither? Hell, they're still trying to stamp out XP. LOL These guys claim W7 and XP gained users last month. https://www.computerworld.com/artic...he-numbers-windows-7-is-one-obstinate-os.html


Although I'll be curious to see if there is any measurable or significant increase in Linux and Apple Desktops, or an overall increase in alternative operating systems. We have less than a year to find out (Jan. 2020). I'd like to see if XP/Vista/7/8/8.1 as a group outnumber W10, too.

edit: I'm willing to bet W 8.1 picks up users in January, too. I think they have three years of support after that.

 

[EarthDog]

Huge gap on Steam stats too showing a similar trend that the link I found showed. That said, Steam is more gaming focused...

 

[Alaric]

It will be interesting, for sure. Given Microsoft's full court press and by hook or by crook approach to trying to force W 10 on everyone I wonder how much they actually hurt their cause. I try to bear in mind we (the interwebz) would hear about the the very vocal critics more than the millions of people who just caved or had it done to them and let it stand. I'll have popcorn ready for the show in January, though. I wonder how many "Never 10" users will actually stick with that. I may pick up an 8.1 license for a dual boot but I'm keeping my W7 install right where it is, and will probably snag a few more this year.

 

[EarthDog]

I dont know... 8/8.1 looks and acts similarly. To those w7 people hanging on, why not 10 at that point? Does 8 not quite take over as much?

 

[Alaric]

W8/8.1 was 10 Lite. LOL You can make it look like 7, and it does offer more/easier control over telemetry, updates and such. My issues are Media Center (I need it, and nobody has successfully ported it to 10 or 8 with the features I use it for.) They get basic functionality but not the bells and whistles that make it the best solution for my hardware. Other issue is I'm old and crotchety and didn't like MS telling me what to do. Between Intel's couple-new- sockets-a-year spurt, Windows 10 and the mining craze, my shiny new 5$-best-in-the-world (OK, pretty-good-in-the-world) build started a flaming tail spin into obsolescence a couple months after I built it. I can laugh about it, but not getting Windows 10 turned out to be my only route of futile protest at the injustice of it all.

At my age and with some of the health problems that have reared their heads, there's a good chance I'll never have to leave Windows 7.

 

[Kenrou]

Cool! But too little too late? And only one title?

"Microsoft has stated that they are working with a few other developers to bring their DX12 games/backends to Windows 7 as well." - WoW is going to be the 1st of supported games because at the moment it's the only game where we can see significant gains of using DX12 over DX11.

 

[EarthDog]

Thats good I suppose! But Not going to hold my breath on that for an expiring(ed) OS.

 

[trents]

I'm guessing Microsoft will extend support for Windows 7 to commercial entities like healthcare systems and POS who use dedicated apps and equipment that will not work with newer Windows. Remember, they did that (are doing it?) with Windows XP and someone developed a hack that tricked XP into posing as a POS OS so anyone could still get updates. Even if that happens with Win 7, the bigger issue over time will be it's abandonment by the browser makers, drivers, etc.

 

[Alaric]

It will be a long time before W7 is abandoned by third parties. MS will try to force it by making things difficult, by making things easily ported to 10 difficult to work in 7, but third parties aren't going to ignore somewhere around a billion computers. I'd bet w 8/8.1 is abandoned before W7. Just like XP had aftermarket support after Vista vanished. For the right software, there will be a lucrative market for making 7 live in a 10 world long after Satya Nadella has been moved to a home mumbling "Seven! Damn you, Seven!" and drooling on himself. LOL