Microsoft unveils DirectX Raytracing 1.2 with major performance upgrades
At GDC 2025, Microsoft introduced DirectX Raytracing (DXR) 1.2, bringing significant performance improvements and enhanced visuals. Cassie Hoef, Microsoft’s Principal Program Manager, described the update as a major step toward more immersive gaming experiences.
The update introduces two key technologies. Opacity Micromaps (OMM) optimize alpha-tested geometry, reducing shader invocations and increasing performance in path-traced games by up to 2.3 times. Shader Execution Reordering (SER) enhances GPU efficiency by grouping shader executions, resulting in up to twice the rendering speed in some scenarios. These improvements make raytraced and path-traced games smoother, more efficient, and visually richer.
NVIDIA has confirmed driver support for RTX GPUs starting from the RTX 20 series, while Microsoft is collaborating with AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm for broader adoption. Developers will also benefit from updates to PIX, Microsoft’s debugging tool for DirectX 12, which will support DXR 1.2 at launch. New features include an API preview in April 2025 for accessing PIX via C++, C#, and Python, enhanced visualization tools for buffers and meshes, and a refreshed user interface.
In addition to DXR 1.2, Microsoft is advancing neural rendering with cooperative vector support in DirectX and HLSL. This will unlock RTX Neural Shaders, allowing for more detailed and efficient graphics. Neural Block Texture Compression is another breakthrough, significantly reducing memory usage while maintaining high visual fidelity. Real-time path tracing will also see improvements through neural supersampling and denoising, making advanced rendering techniques more accessible.
Developers won’t have to wait long to start using these features. Microsoft has confirmed that DXR 1.2, along with the PIX updates and cooperative vectors, will be available in an Agility SDK preview by late April 2025.
