Adds incredibly realistic lighting, shadows, and reflections by simulating the physical behavior of light in real-time.
Microsoft has not released “DirectX 13” as of 2026. DirectX 12 Ultimate is the active, modern standard. Older versions (DirectX 11, 9, etc.) are still supported for backward compatibility, but they lack the features below. latest version of directx
For practical purposes, for today’s games and GPUs. Unless you’re maintaining legacy software, ignore older versions and ensure your hardware supports Feature Level 12_2 . Older versions (DirectX 11, 9, etc
VRS allows the GPU to apply different shading rates to different parts of a single frame. VRS allows the GPU to apply different shading
DirectX 12 Ultimate is not a completely new API but an enhanced feature set built on top of the original DirectX 12. It bundles several advanced graphics technologies that were previously optional or experimental, making them a requirement for any hardware to be "Ultimate" certified.