DirectX reverse compatibility

diroga

New Member
I have a game that says it runs on DirectX n. I have a video card that says it is DirectX n – 1 capable. The game runs on my card no problem. Does that mean my card is working DirectX n mode OR is the game run in DirectX n – 1 mode? This is just a general question for non specific games and video cards. I believe the game just runs in the older DirectX mode for computability.
 
New games and hardware are backward compatible. For example a DX10 game can be played with a dx9 card. How can your card be in N mode? Its not very N capable, of course the games is in N-1 mode to enable you to play the game.
 
Supreme Commander will release a patch for DX10 as well as Command and Conquer 3. I don't know what will be the first game to natively support DX10 would be, but I'm sure that Halo 2 and Crysis will support DX10 for sure.
 
I'm running Return to CastleWolfenstein and other "OLD" games on Vista with DX10 and 9c together. I think you will find that games limited to DX10 will still some time to come out. Too many people are still running XP for that type of move by game manufacturers in order to games that will run on XP as well as Vista. Essentially all Direct X is is a set of drivers for 3D rendering. You will most likely see more games coming out that are Open GL compliant for both OSs.
 
Halo is strictly MS to begin with there. The MS products are designed around the version out at the time. XP saw the longest run explaining the different versions of MS office seen over the years while Halo amounted to another addon MS product to increase their own variety of softwares.
 
Well Office 2007 is backward compatible while Halo 2 is not so i don't think your rule applies. Also Halo 2 is a game not a word processing office suite.
 
Even if the installer doesn't have it, you can always get it off the Microsoft website anyway so it shouldn't be a big problem.
 
Well you are still going to see DX9c there at the moment. It will take even longer for video cards that require DX10 to come out following the initial release. Newer games still not out until then may or may not have the installer. But don't plan on those coming out soon.
 
Since that was a 2005 game they may come out with a DX10 sequel there. Prey was another one where you are left with the impression of an eventual sequel coming out. Upto this time however Direct X has been able to go on older versions as well as the latest out. What Vista and Creative have been doing is more sound wise where EAX has gone toast! Praetor showed me a link on that one about week or so back.

(no eax? :confused: i'm going to go crazy! :eek: !!! oh well. :P )
 
EAX is strictly a Creative trade mark. OpenAL was the discussion there with a developer's patch for EAX now seen for Vista at http://developer.creative.com/ By default the finished updates for sound will lack the old EAX support for games. The patch here is for adding some support for the limited amount of games that have OpenAL as the alternative.
 
You mean I ran some games like Half Life 2 and Prey without it?

Yes, you did run HL2 and Prey without it. Those games use DX9, and like I said, DX10 isn't even out yet.
Wait. Were you being facetious?
I guess I was reading and saw imaginary lines of text saying stuff about DX10 games out right now. Oopsie.
 
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