DX12, and whether it will help the Xbox One, is a contentious topic. Little is known on how the new API will affect the Xbox One’s GPU, but word is slowly getting around that it’ll be helpful in game development.
Although Phil Spencer did acknowledge that DirectX 12 won’t change Xbox One’s hardware and graphics capabilities, developers do believe the new API can be beneficial.
Cyan Worlds’ Rand Miller revealed that his latest PC game, Obduction, is using Unreal Engine 4 and Epic is currently doing their best to use DirectX 12 to boost performance. Miller does believe that DX12 will eventually help the Xbox One. He stated, “Eventually all graphic advances work their way through everything. Sooner or later!”
This coincides with other developers’ claiming that DirectX 12 will indeed help Xbox One game development. NeoCore Games, developer behind the upcoming Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor Martyr, gave insight about the new API.
Game Producer, Zoltán Pozsonyi, explained,“DirectX 12 is not something that allows you to play around with new shiny effects during the development. It’s more of a big, structural development that gives the programmers a lot more opportunity by providing them easier access directly to the GPU.”
Microsoft still hasn’t announced a release window for DirectX 12 games on Xbox One, but preview members will get to dabble in it before everyone else.