Microsoft and NVIDIA shake hands to evolve & transform next-gen games

NVIDIA and Microsoft have announced a collaboration to integrate neural shading support into Microsoft’s DirectX platform, marking a significant advancement in gaming graphics technology.

Starting with a preview in April, this integration will grant developers access to AI Tensor Cores in NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs, enabling the acceleration of neural networks within the game’s graphics pipeline. This fusion of artificial intelligence with traditional rendering techniques is expected to substantially boost frame rates, enhance image quality, and optimize system resource utilization.

Shawn Hargreaves, Direct3D Development Manager at Microsoft, highlighted the significance of this development, stating:

Microsoft is adding cooperative vector support to DirectX and HLSL, starting with a preview this April. This will advance the future of graphics programming by enabling neural rendering across the gaming industry. Unlocking Tensor Cores on NVIDIA RTX will allow developers to fully leverage RTX Neural Shaders for richer, more immersive experiences on Windows.

Advancements in Neural Rendering Technologies

In addition to neural shading, NVIDIA is enhancing its RTX Kit—a suite of neural rendering technologies for game developers—by introducing support for Unreal Engine 5. Notable updates include RTX Mega Geometry, which accelerates ray tracing in complex scenes, and RTX Hair, designed to improve the rendering of realistic hair and fur in digital characters.

RTX Remix and ‘Half-Life 2 RTX’ Demo

NVIDIA has officially released RTX Remix, an open-source platform that empowers modders to create high-quality remasters of classic games. To demonstrate the capabilities of these advancements, a playable ‘Half-Life 2 RTX’ demo featuring full ray tracing, NVIDIA DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation, RTX Neural Radiance Cache, and RTX Skin will be available on March 18.

NVIDIA also celebrates a milestone with over 100 games and applications now supporting DLSS 4, reflecting the industry’s rapid adoption of AI-driven graphics enhancements.

These collaborative efforts between NVIDIA and Microsoft signify a transformative period in gaming, where AI integration within graphics rendering is set to deliver more immersive and visually stunning experiences.