Pros: Essential for displaying high-performance multimedia, play games on your Windows OS.Ĭons: Older versions contain security vulnerabilities, mainly version from 5.2 up to 9.0a. Microsoft later accommodated the separate Direct APIs into DirectX which became a single collection of application programming interfaces executing all graphical and audio elements.ĭirectX is an essential runtime and is included with all Windows operating systems and is updated when your operating system is updated with the latest service pack or if you install a newer version of the OS.ĭirectX 3.0a is the last supported version for Windows NT 4.0.ĭirectX 8.0a is the last supported version for Windows 95.ĭirectX 8.1 is the last supported version for Windows98/Me/2000.ĭirectX 9.0c is the last supported version for Windows XP.ĭirectX 10.0 is the last supported version for Windows Vista DirectX 10.1 last supported version for Windows Vista service pack 1.ĭirectX 11.0 is the latest version for Windows 7. Developers came up with a solution for game programmers with the Direct3D and DirectPlay APIs and demonstrated their ability to play rich 3D graphical games over the internet. DirectX is a necessity for any PC running the Windows OS it is required by all applications which use rich graphical and multimedia elements, such as games which are dependent on DirectX to support its execution.ĭirectX was created due to concerns from lead developers at Microsoft that the upcoming release of Windows 95 would not be utilized by game programmers the same way MS-DOS was in creating new games, as Windows 95 had certain restrictions within its OS, hindering the game development process. DirectX 7.0 Download Now Released: Size: 6.05 MB Downloads: 471,512 Rating: Tested: Free from spyware, adware and viruses Select Version of DirectX to Download for FREE! Software VersionĭirectX is a Windows-based collection of APIs designed by Microsoft to run and display applications which feature high-performance multimedia such as full-color graphics, 3D animations, video and audio.

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