Editing DirectX (section)

===DirectX 9===
{{See also|Direct3D#Direct3D 9}}Introduced by Microsoft in 2002, DirectX 9 was a significant release in the DirectX family. It brought many important features and enhancements to the graphics capabilities of Windows. At the time of its release, it supported [[Windows 98]], [[Windows Me]], [[Windows 2000]], and [[Windows XP]]. As of August 2024 it remains supported by all subsequent versions of Windows for backward compatibility.

One of the key features introduced in DirectX 9 was Shader Model 2.0, which included Pixel Shader 2.0 and Vertex Shader 2.0. These allowed for more complex and realistic graphics rendering. It also brought much needed performance improvements through better [[hardware acceleration]] capabilities, and better utilization of GPU resources. It also introduced [[High-Level Shader Language|HLSL]], which provided a more accessible way for developers to produce shaders.

DirectX 9.0c was an update to the original, and has been continuously changed over the years affecting its compatibility with older operating systems. As of January 2007, Windows 2000 and Windows XP became the minimum required operating systems. This means support was officially dropped for Windows 98 and Windows Me. As of August 2024, DirectX 9.0c is still regularly updated.

Windows XP SP2 and newer include DirectX 9.0c,<ref>{{cite web |title=Programming Guide for the DirectX SDK |url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/ee416979(VS.85).aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101018035741/http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/ee416979(VS.85).aspx |archive-date=18 October 2010 |access-date=11 January 2022 |website=msdn.microsoft.com}}</ref> but may require a newer DirectX runtime redistributable installation for DirectX 9.0c applications compiled with the February 2005 DirectX 9.0 SDK or newer.

DirectX 9 had a significant impact on game development. Many games from the mid-2000s to early 2010s were developed using DirectX 9 and it became a standard target for developers. Even today, some games still use DirectX 9 as an option for older or less powerful hardware.