Intel graphics drop native DirectX 9 support, here’s which GPUs are affected
After 20 years of support, DirectX 9 is on the way out for some systems with Intel graphics.
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What you need to know
Intel has dropped native DirectX 9 (DX9) support for integrated graphics on its 12th Gen chips as well asArc discrete GPUs. Systems with the newer processors will instead have to rely on emulation to play titles that rely on the older API. Intel announced the change in anupdated support page.
“12th generation Intel processor’s integrated GPU and Arc discrete GPU no longer support D3D9 natively. Applications and games based on DirectX 9 can still work through Microsoft* D3D9On12 interface,” explains Intel.
DirectX 9 is 20 years old, so none of thebest PC gamesfrom the last few years utilize it.The Vergehighlighted that a few games, including Unreal Tournament, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Team Fortress 2, run on DX9. People playing those titles shouldn’t see much of a performance difference between native and emulated DirectX 9 support.
Additionally, many older games that rely on DX9 have remakes. For example, theStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republicremake is on the way to PCs.
Integrated GPUs on 11th Gen Intel chips have native DX9 support built in, but even those processors may rely on emulation, depending on if a system features an Intel Arc GPU.
“The integrated GPU on 11th generation and older Intel processors supports DX9 natively, but they can be combined with Arc graphics cards,” reads the Intel support dock. “If so, rendering is likely to be handled by the card and not the iGPU (unless the card is disabled). Thus, the system will be using DX9On12 instead of DX9.”
With such a small list of titles affected by the change, very few gamers should have any issues. Since DirectX is owned and sustained by Microsoft, the company should keep an eye on reported issues to fix any bugs.
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Sean Endicott is a tech journalist at Windows Central, specializing in Windows, Microsoft software, AI, and PCs. He’s covered major launches, from Windows 10 and 11 to the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT. Sean’s journey began with the Lumia 740, leading to strong ties with app developers. Outside writing, he coaches American football, utilizing Microsoft services to manage his team. He studied broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University and is active on X @SeanEndicott_ and Threads @sean_endicott_.
