Editing DirectX (section)

=== Version history ===
{{Timeline of release years
| title = 
| subtitle = Major releases
| 1995 = DirectX 1
| 1996a = DirectX 2
| 1996b = DirectX 3
| 1997 = DirectX 5
| 1998 = DirectX 6
| 1999 = DirectX 7
| 2000 = DirectX 8
| 2002 = DirectX 9
| 2006 = DirectX 10
| 2009 = DirectX 11
| 2015 = DirectX 12
}}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto; width:auto; font-size:90%; text-align:left;"
|+DirectX versions
! colspan="3" |Version
! rowspan="2" |Release date
! rowspan="2" |Notes
|-
!Major
! Minor
! Number
|-
!1
| style="text-align:center;" |1.0 || 4.02.0095 || September 30, 1995 || Initially released as Windows Game SDK, replacing [[WinG]] for [[Windows 95]] onward
|-
! rowspan="2" |2
| style="text-align:center;" |2.0 || || 1996 || Was shipped only with a few 3rd party applications
|-
|style="text-align:center;" |2.0a || 4.03.00.1096 || June 5, 1996 || Windows 95 OSR2 and [[Windows NT 4.0]] exclusive
|-
! rowspan="4" |3
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" | 3.0 || 4.04.00.0068 || September 15, 1996 || &nbsp;
|-
|4.04.00.0069 || 1996 || Later package of DirectX 3.0 included Direct3D 4.04.00.0069
|-
|style="text-align:center;" |3.0a || 4.04.00.0070 || December 1996 || Windows NT 4.0 SP3 (and above)<br />Last version supporting Windows NT 4.0
|-
|style="text-align:center;" |3.0b || 4.04.00.0070 || January 1997 || This was a very minor update to 3.0a that fixed a cosmetic problem with the Japanese version of Windows 95 (DSETUPJ.DLL)
|-
!4
|style="text-align:center;" |4.0 || colspan=2 | ''Never released'' || DirectX 4 was never released. Raymond Chen of Microsoft explained in his book, ''The Old New Thing'', that after DirectX 3 was released, Microsoft began developing versions 4 and 5 at the same time. Version 4 was to be a shorter-term release with small features, whereas version 5 would be a more substantial release. The lack of interest from game developers in the features stated for DirectX 4 resulted in it being shelved, and the large amount of documents that already distinguished the two new versions resulted in Microsoft choosing to not re-use version 4 to describe features intended for version 5.<ref>{{cite book
| title = The Old New Thing
| edition = 1st
| chapter = Etymology and History
| page = 330
| last = Chen
| first = Raymond
| year = 2006
| publisher = Pearson Education
| isbn = 0-321-44030-7
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/?p=40963 |title=What happened to DirectX 4? - The Old New Thing - Site Home - MSDN Blogs |publisher=Blogs.msdn.com |date=2004-01-22 |access-date=2012-12-30}}</ref>
|-
! rowspan="4" |5
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |5.0 || 4.05.00.0155 (RC55) || August 4, 1997 || Available as a beta for Windows 2000 that would install on Windows NT 4.0
|-
|4.05.00.0155 (RC66) || || Installer included on the Windows 95 OSR 2.5 installation media
|-
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |5.2 || 4.05.01.1600 (RC00) || May 5, 1998 || DirectX 5.2 release for Windows 95
|-
|4.05.01.1998 (RC0) || June 25, 1998 || [[Windows 98]] exclusive
|-
! rowspan="3" |6
|style="text-align:center;" |6.0 || 4.06.00.0318 (RC3) || August 7, 1998<ref name="mscomdx60rel">{{cite news |title=Microsoft Ships Final Release of DirectX 6.0 |url=https://news.microsoft.com/1998/08/07/microsoft-ships-final-release-of-directx-6-0/ |access-date=July 19, 2019 |work=Microsoft.com |date=August 7, 1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150826232536/https://news.microsoft.com/1998/08/07/microsoft-ships-final-release-of-directx-6-0/ |archive-date=August 26, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> || [[Windows CE]] as implemented on [[Dreamcast]] and other devices
|-
|style="text-align:center;" |6.1 || 4.06.02.0436 (RC0) || February 3, 1999<ref name="shipdx61mscom">{{cite news |title=Microsoft Ships DirectX 6.1 |url=https://news.microsoft.com/1999/02/03/microsoft-ships-directx-6-1/ |access-date=July 19, 2019 |work=Microsoft.com |date=February 3, 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150826231030/https://news.microsoft.com/1999/02/03/microsoft-ships-directx-6-1/ |archive-date=August 26, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> || 
|-
|style="text-align:center;" |6.1a || 4.06.03.0518 (RC0) || May 5, 1999<ref name="ActiveWin">{{cite web |title=Microsoft DirectX – Frequently Asked Questions |url=https://www.activewin.com/faq/faq_7.shtml |website=ActiveWin.com |access-date=August 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030210101459/https://www.activewin.com/faq/faq_7.shtml |archive-date=February 10, 2003}}</ref> || [[Windows 98 SE|Windows 98 Second Edition]] exclusive. This is last version that runs on 486 or older CPU.
|-
! rowspan="5" |7
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |7.0 || 4.07.00.0700 (RC1) || September 22, 1999<ref name="dx70releasecom">{{cite news |title=Microsoft Ships Final Release of DirectX 7.0 |url=https://news.microsoft.com/1999/09/22/microsoft-ships-final-release-of-directx-7-0/ |access-date=July 19, 2019 |work=Microsoft.com |date=September 22, 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190719195813/https://news.microsoft.com/1999/09/22/microsoft-ships-final-release-of-directx-7-0/ |archive-date=July 19, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="70dxrelthurrott">{{cite news |author1=Paul Thurrott |title=Microsoft releases DirectX 7.0 |url=https://www.itprotoday.com/windows-78/microsoft-releases-directx-70 |access-date=July 19, 2019 |work=ITProToday |date=September 21, 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417092920/https://www.itprotoday.com/windows-78/microsoft-releases-directx-70 |archive-date=April 17, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mielewczik |first=Michael |title=DirectX 7.0 – Nachbrenner für Spiele. |journal=PC Intern |volume=12/1999 |pages=124–125}}</ref>||
|-
|4.07.00.0700 || February 17, 2000 || [[Windows 2000]] exclusive
|-
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |7.0a
|4.07.00.0716 (RC0) || November 1999 || 
|-
|4.07.00.0716 (RC1) || December 17, 1999 || Released only for Windows 95 to 98<ref name="dx70adowncom">{{cite web |title=Download Center: DirectX / Version - 7.0a |url=https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?ReleaseID=16819 |website=Microsoft.com |access-date=July 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000408160357/http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?ReleaseID=16819 |archive-date=April 8, 2000}}</ref><ref name="shacknews70anews">{{cite web |author1=Maarten Goldstein |title=DirectX 7A released |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/3492/directx-7a-released |website=[[Shacknews]] |access-date=July 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720001537/https://www.shacknews.com/article/3492/directx-7a-released |archive-date=July 20, 2019 |date=December 18, 1999 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center;" |7.1 || 4.07.01.3000 (RC1) || September 14, 2000<ref name="merev71dxpt">{{cite web |author1=Paul Thurrott |title=Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me) Review |url=https://www.itprotoday.com/windows-server/windows-millennium-edition-windows-me-review |website=ITProToday |access-date=July 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613165845/http://www.itprotoday.com/windows-server/windows-millennium-edition-windows-me-review |archive-date=June 13, 2018 |date=September 14, 2000 |url-status=live}}</ref> || [[Windows Me]] exclusive. Last version to have built-in RGB software rendering support
|-
! rowspan="6" |8
|style="text-align:center;" |8.0 || 4.08.00.0400 (RC10) || November 10, 2000<ref name="geekcomdx7leak">{{cite news |author1=Admin |title=DirectX 8 leaks out |url=https://www.geek.com/games/directx-8-leaks-out-542827/ |access-date=July 20, 2019 |work=[[Geek.com]] |date=November 10, 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160712051705/https://www.geek.com/games/directx-8-leaks-out-542827/ |archive-date=July 12, 2016}}</ref> || 
|-
|style="text-align:center;" |8.0a || 4.08.00.0400 (RC14) || January 24, 2001<ref name="dx80aredistms">{{cite web |title=DirectX 8.0a Redist |url=https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?ReleaseID=27398 |website=Microsoft.com |access-date=July 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010331092946/http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?ReleaseID=27398 |archive-date=March 31, 2001 |date=January 24, 2001}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mielewczik |first=Michael |year=2001 |title=Brandaktuell – Das neue DirectX 8.0. |journal=Windows Technical |publisher=MEK3 Verlag |publication-place=München |volume=2001 |issue=2 |pages=56–59}}</ref>|| Last version supporting Windows 95 and last version to have software rendering support in dxdiag.exe
|-
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |8.1 || 4.08.01.0810 || October 25, 2001 || [[Windows XP]], Windows XP SP1, [[Windows Server 2003]]
|-
|4.08.01.0881 (RC7) || November 8, 2001 || This version is for the down level operating systems (Windows 98, Windows Me and Windows 2000)
|-
|style="text-align:center;" |8.1b || 4.08.01.0901 (RC7) || June 25, 2002 || This release includes an update to Direct3D (D3d8.dll). Includes a fix to DirectShow on Windows 2000 (Quartz.dll)
|-
|style="text-align:center;" |8.2 || 4.08.02.0134 (RC0) || 2002 || Same as the DirectX 8.1b but includes DirectPlay 8.2
|-
! rowspan="8" |9
|style="text-align:center;" |9.0 || 4.09.00.0900 (RC4) || December 19, 2002 || 
|-
|style="text-align:center;" |9.0a || 4.09.00.0901 (RC6) || March 26, 2003 || 
|-
|style="text-align:center;" |9.0b || 4.09.00.0902 (RC2) || August 13, 2003 || 
|-
| rowspan="5" |9.0c<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2da43d38-db71-4c1b-bc6a-9b6652cd92a3|title=Download DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer from Official Microsoft Download Center|publisher=Microsoft|work=microsoft.com}}</ref>
|4.09.00.0904 (RC0) || July 22, 2004 || First 9.0c version<br>Periodic hybrid 32-bit/64-bit updates, starting from October 2004, were released bimonthly until August 2007, and quarterly thereafter. The last update was released in June 2010<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=3b170b25-abab-4bc3-ae91-50ceb6d8fa8d|title=Download DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010) from Official Microsoft Download Center|publisher=Microsoft|work=microsoft.com}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan="4" |4.09.00.0904 || August 6, 2004 / April 21, 2008* || Windows XP SP2 and SP3*, Windows Server 2003 SP1 and Windows Server 2003 R2
|-
|October 10, 2006<ref>{{Cite web | author = Microsoft Corporation | date = October 10, 2006 | title = Download DirectX End-User Runtimes from Official Microsoft Download Center | url = http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=7104 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201214033748/http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=7104 | archive-date = December 14, 2020 | access-date = March 1, 2025}}</ref>
|Last version supporting Windows 98, 98 SE and Me<ref>{{Cite web | author = Microsoft Corporation | date = December 13, 2006 | title = Download DirectX Software Development Kit from Official Microsoft Download Center | url = http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=10990 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160408122617/http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=10990 | archive-date = April 8, 2016 | access-date = March 1, 2025}}</ref><ref name="Jun2010" />
|-
|February 5, 2010<ref>{{Cite web | author = Microsoft Corporation | date = February 5, 2010 | title = Download DirectX End-User Runtimes (February 2010) from Official Microsoft Download Center | url = http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=9033 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210125023641/http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=9033 | archive-date = January 25, 2021 | access-date = March 1, 2025}}</ref>
|Last version supporting Windows 2000,<ref name="Jun2010" /> XP and XP SP1
|-
|June 7, 2010<ref name="Jun2010" />
|Final 9.0c version<br>Last version supporting Windows XP SP2 and SP3<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/pc/report-no-directx-10-for-windows-xp|title=Report: No DirectX 10 For Windows XP|website=GameDeveloper|date=May 30, 2006|access-date=2021-12-23}}</ref>
|-
! rowspan="3" |10
|style="text-align:center;" |10 || 6.00.6000.16386 || November 30, 2006 || [[Windows Vista]] exclusive
|-
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |10.1 || 6.00.6001.18000 || February 4, 2008 || [[Windows Vista SP1]], [[Windows Server 2008]]<br />Includes Direct3D 10.1
|-
|6.00.6002.18005 || April 28, 2009 || [[Windows Vista SP2]], [[Windows Server 2008 SP2]]<br />Includes Direct3D 10.1
|-
! rowspan="6" |11
|rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;" |11 || 6.01.7600.16385 || October 22, 2009 || [[Windows 7]], [[Windows Server 2008 R2]]
|-
|| 6.00.6002.18107 || October 27, 2009 || Windows Vista SP2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2, through the [https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/platform-update-supplement-for-windows-vista-and-for-windows-server-2008-5f6a1e60-0bcd-2080-06ab-85ecc8110d5f Platform Update for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcgameshardware.com/aid,695119/Microsoft-upgrades-Windows-Vista-with-DirectX-11/News/|title=Microsoft upgrades Windows Vista with DirectX 11|work=pcgameshardware.com|date=September 15, 2009|access-date=September 15, 2009|archive-date=March 31, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331191801/http://www.pcgameshardware.com/aid,695119/Microsoft-upgrades-Windows-Vista-with-DirectX-11/News/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
|6.01.7601.17514 || February 16, 2011 || [[Windows 7 SP1]], [[Windows Server 2008 R2#Service Pack|Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1]]
|-
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |11.1 || 6.02.9200.16384 || August 1, 2012 || [[Windows 8]], [[Windows RT]], [[Windows Server 2012]]<br />
|-
|6.02.9200.16492 || February 11, 2013 || Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, through the [https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/platform-update-for-windows-7-sp1-and-windows-server-2008-r2-sp1-d97da9ca-c15c-b21f-ebb0-838f7be8d9f6 Platform Update for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2670838/platform-update-for-windows-7-sp1-and-windows-server-2008-r2-sp1|title=Platform update for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1|date=February 27, 2013|work=Microsoft Support|publisher=Microsoft|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190507050936/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/2670838/platform-update-for-windows-7-sp1-and-windows-server-2008-r2-sp1|archive-date=May 7, 2019|url-status=live|access-date=May 7, 2019}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center;" |11.2 || 6.03.9600.16384 || October 18, 2013 || [[Windows 8.1]], [[Windows RT]], [[Windows Server 2012 R2]]
|-
! rowspan="7" |12
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;" |12 ||10.00.10240.16384 || July 29, 2015 || [[Windows 10]]
|-
|10.00.15063.0000 || March 20, 2017 || Windows 10, Depth Bounds Testing and Programmable MSAA added<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/whats-new/windows-10-build-15063|title = What's New in Windows 10, build 15063 - UWP applications| date=October 20, 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/directx/2017/11/07/announcing-new-directx-12-features/|title=Announcing new DirectX 12 features|date=November 7, 2017}}</ref>
|-
|10.00.17763.0000 || November 20, 2019 || [[Direct3D]] 12 only for Windows 7 SP1, via a dedicated source code package for app developers<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.nuget.org/packages/Microsoft.Direct3D.D3D12On7| title = NuGet Gallery {{!}} Microsoft.Direct3D.D3D12On7 1.1.0}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://microsoft.github.io/DirectX-Specs/d3d/D3D12onWin7.html|title = DirectX-Specs}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2" |12.1
| 10.00.17763.0001||October 2, 2018 || Windows 10, DirectX Raytracing support added<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 2, 2018 |title=DirectX Raytracing and the Windows 10 October 2018 Update |url=https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/directx/2018/10/02/directx-raytracing-and-the-windows-10-october-2018-update/}}</ref>
|-
|10.00.18362.0116
|May 19, 2019 || Windows 10, Variable Rate Shading (VRS) support added<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 18, 2019 |title=Variable Rate Shading: A scalpel in a world of sledgehammers |url=https://devblogs.microsoft.com/directx/variable-rate-shading-a-scalpel-in-a-world-of-sledgehammers/}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2" |12.2
|10.00.19041.0928
|November 10, 2020||Windows 10, Ultimate

|-
|10.00.22000.1000
|October 5, 2021
|[[Windows 11]], Added native refresh rate switching<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 28, 2021 |title=Dynamic refresh rate – Get the best of both worlds |url=https://devblogs.microsoft.com/directx/dynamic-refresh-rate/}}</ref> and improved graphics capabilities to [[Windows Subsystem for Linux]]<ref>{{cite web |title=WSL Graphics Architecture |url=https://xdc2020.x.org/event/9/contributions/610/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008215757/https://xdc2020.x.org/event/9/contributions/610/ |archive-date=October 8, 2021 |access-date=October 8, 2021 |website=X.Org Developers Conference 2020}}</ref>

|}
The version number as reported by Microsoft's [[DxDiag]] tool (version 4.09.0000.0900 and higher) use the x.xx.xxxx.xxxx format for version numbers. However, the DirectX and Windows XP [[Microsoft Developer Network|MSDN]] page claims that the registry always has been in the x.xx.xx.xxxx format. Therefore, when the above table lists a version as '4.09.00.0904' Microsoft's [[DxDiag]] tool may have it as '4.09.0000.0904'.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://msdn.microsoft.com/archive/en-us/directx9_c_Dec_2004/directx/directxsdk/dxandxp.asp |title = DirectX and Windows XP |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080118005316/http://msdn.microsoft.com/archive/en-us/directx9_c_Dec_2004/directx/directxsdk/dxandxp.asp |archive-date=18 January 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>