Intel uses code translation to run older DirectX9 games on its latest GPUs

Intel’s graphics marketing team is currently at the center of an expectation-setting PR around upcoming Arc GPUs. Due in part to immature drivers, new graphics cards typically perform much better in newer games using the DirectX12 and Vulkan APIs than they do in older DirectX and OpenGL games. The problem for Intel is that not all games use the latest APIs, especially competitive multiplayer games that have been around for a while.

For older games that use the DirectX9 API, the company has come up with a unique solution. Tom’s Hardware reports that the latest Intel GPUs will no longer natively support DirectX9, instead relying on a Microsoft-provided software translation layer called D3D9On12 to convert Direct3D9 API calls to Direct3D12 calls (Direct3D is the name of the parts of DirectX related to 3D graphics).

Intel’s Aug 10 support page states that D3D9On12 will be used on all Arc GPUs and integrated GPUs in 12th Gen Core processors. While nearly identical to their 12th generation counterparts, the integrated GPUs in 11th generation processors will continue to support DirectX9 natively unless installed on a PC with an Arc GPU.

Microsoft says that D3D9On12 is a “complete and relatively performant implementation of the D3D9 driver”, but Intel notes that it may cause problems in some games, including “visual bugs, artifacts, flickering or even crashes”. However, a buggy native implementation of Direct3D9 can cause the same problems.

Intel may reduce performance by turning to DirectX9 translation for these GPUs, but the company is also freeing up resources to focus on DirectX11 and other versions as it tries to improve its Arc GPU drivers. The company can now also report any performance issues and bugs in DirectX9 games to Microsoft (indeed, at the time of this writing, many Intel information pages related to D3D9On12 redirect to its home page, but the one that suggests people contact Microsoft with problems, works fine).).

DirectX9 is an important version of the API for older PC games, in part because it was the last version supported by Windows XP. The dominance and longevity of this operating system, as well as its lower system requirements compared to Windows Vista and 7, have made it so popular with gamers that it has been a common development target for years – a surprising number of still widely played games are based on this version. APIs including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Team Fortress 2. Valve’s DOTA 2 removed support for DirectX9 just last year.