Microsoft unveils DirectX 11 at GameFest

Microsoft's DirectX 11 will be launched 'later this year'

Microsoft has unveiled further details about its upcoming DirectX 11 at the annual GameFest developer conference in Seattle.

A new 'shader' technology "lays the groundwork for the GPU to be used for more than just 3D graphics", according to the software giant.

"Developers will be able to take advantage of the graphics card as a parallel processor," said Chris Satchell, chief technology officer at Microsoft's entertainment business division.

DirectX 11 will also offer support for tessellation, giving models a smoother appearance when viewed up close, in addition to multi-threaded resource handling to make the most of multi-processor set-ups.

The new Software Developer Kit will be compatible with existing DirectX 10 hardware, but will require the much-maligned Windows Vista thereby excluding millions of XP users.

Games based on the current DirectX 10 SDK for Windows, including Crysis, Gears of War and BioShock, have been well received and praised for their added realism.

All three were nominated in the Best Game category at last year's Bafta Video Games Awards.

Microsoft said that DirectX 11 will be launched "later this year".