DirectX 12
Download For Windows PC

DirectX 12 is a collection of APIs that allow games on Windows PCs to communicate more efficiently with the hardware like, graphics card, & CPU in the computer. It was released on July 29, 2015, alongside Windows 10 but since then has received constant updates that improve its functionality. It is also available to download on both 32-bit & 64-bit versions of Windows 10/11.

DirectX 12 Download for Windows 10/11 PC

DirectX 12 isn’t available as a standalone package or as an offline installer. It can only be downloaded, installed, or updated via the Windows Update feature on Windows 10 & Windows 11. Find further details below.

Downloading DirectX 12 for Windows 10

Newer versions of Windows 10 have DirectX 12 installed by default but in case you need to download/update to DirectX 12 then follow the steps below.

Note: DirectX 12 supports all versions of Windows 10 as it was released with Windows 10 itself, so there’s no need to worry about the Windows version.

Step 1: Go to Window’s Settings and in the Update & Security section click on Windows Update.

Step 2: Once inside the Windows Update section click on Check for Updates. This will get you available updates for both Windows 10 and DirectX 12 which you can then download and install.

Downloading DirectX 12 for Windows 11

Windows 11 comes with pre-installed DirectX 12 Ultimate but if for any reason you need to download DirectX 12 or DirectX 12 Ultimate then it can be done via the Windows Update feature. Follow the steps below to do it:

Step 1: Go to Windows 11’s Settings > Windows Update > Check for Updates.

How to Install or Update DirectX 12 Latest Version

Installing or updating DirectX 12 is easy but only possible through the Windows Update feature.

Step 1: Go to Windows Settings Menu then navigate to the Windows Update section and click on Check for Updates.

Step 2: This will install or update DirectX 12 to the latest version.

How to Uninstall DirectX 12:

DirectX 12 is a built-in feature of Windows 10/11 and cannot be uninstalled. If you’re facing problems with DirectX 12 then we suggest taking a look below for further guidance.

How to Reinstall DirectX 12:

If for any reason you ever need to reinstall Direct X 12, keep in mind that it can only be done via the Windows Update menu. Once again, here’s how to do that.

Step 1: Go to Windows Settings Menu > Windows Update > Check for Updates.

If this doesn’t work then the only solution is to reinstall Windows itself.

Fix: Your System Does Not Support DirectX 12

This problem arises because of either hardware or software issues. DirectX 12 not being supported by your PC can be either due to your PC not meeting the system requirements for DirectX 12, like an unsupported graphics card or the Windows version is outdated.

Solution 1: If you want to use DirectX 12 then use one of the supported graphic card series from the following list. Nvidia’s RTX, Titan Series, and GTX 900 and above, and AMD’s R7, R9, RX series and above.

Solution 2: If your graphics card meets the system requirements and the issue still persists then we recommend updating Windows 10/11 and DirectX 12 from the Windows Update menu. Also, keep in mind that only Windows 10/11 is supported by DirectX 12, so you may be facing this error on Windows 7/8.1.

How to Update Drivers for DirectX 12

You can update the graphic card drivers using DriverEasy, this software will simplify the entire process. It’ll find out the installed graphic card, then find the latest drivers available for the card, and finally install them. We highly recommend this method.

Alternatively, you can visit Nvidia or AMD‘s respective websites directly to find and download the drivers for your GPU. If you don’t know which graphics card is installed in your PC and would like to find out, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Press Windows + R to open Run and type in dxdiag.

Step 2: Navigate to the Display tab and the name of the installed Graphic card will be written under the Device section.

What is DirectX 12?

DirectX 12 is the previous version of the DirectX API, which is a collection of APIs that allow games on Windows PCs to communicate directly with the graphics card in the computer.

DirectX 12 adds many new features over DirectX 11 like reduced CPU overhead, Better multi-threading, Asynchronous Compute, DirectX Raytracing, etc. DX 12 is also backwards compatible with DirectX 11.

DirectX 12 vs DirectX 11:

DirectX 12 is the newer and improved version of DirectX 11 that was released directly with Windows 10. It adds new features like DirectX Raytracing (DXR), reduced CPU overhead, Better multi-threading, Asynchronous computing, Cross-Platform Support (Xbox Series X & S), and much more that were previously unavailable or on DirectX 11.

DirectX 11 features support for a wide variety of graphic cards so there won’t be any support-based issues as long as you have a fairly decent machine. For all the given reasons we recommend using DirectX 12 over DirectX 11. DirectX 11 is more stable with older hardware and many developers still make games for DirectX 11 because of how easy it is to work with. If you’re curious about GPU support for DX 12 then find the complete list below.

DirectX 12 Supported Graphics Cards:

Nvidia: Nvidia’s supported GPU series by DirectX 12 are:

• GTX 900
• GTX 1000
• RTX 2000
• RTX 3000
• RTX 4000
• Nvidia Titan

AMD: AMD’s supported GPU series by DirectX 12 are:

• R5 200 & 300
• R7 200 & 300
• R9 200 & 300
• Radeon RX 6000
• Radeon RX 7000

DirectX 12 Games:

Here’s a list of some games that use DirectX 12 and its features:

• Alien: Isolation
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Borderlands 3
• Diablo IV
• Dead Island 2
• The Last of Us Part I

DirectX 12 Alternatives

Some of the alternatives to DirectX 12 are OpenGL, Vulkan, and Realtek HD. Out of all these alternatives, only Vulkan can match the performance and visuals that are offered by DirectX 12. Vulkan is mostly used in modern online multiplayer games and players have reported that they got more FPS on Vulkan than they did with DirectX 12.

Conclusion

DirectX 12 is like a supercharged version of DirectX 11 API for making modern games. It helps developers create faster and more efficient games by using its latest and greatest features. Its focus on making graphics look better in games, alongside improving the performance of that game is a huge plus over its older versions.

DirectX 12 FAQs