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Microsoft has revealed its plans to introduce neural rendering features to DirectX in the near future. This initiative, termed cooperative vector support, aims to facilitate “cross-platform enablement of neural rendering techniques,” marking a significant shift in 3D graphics programming as stated by Microsoft.
While this may sound a bit trendy, there’s good reason behind it. Recently, Nvidia unveiled its new RTX 50 series graphics cards, showcasing a variety of neural rendering functionalities. Dubbed neural shaders, these features empower developers to run small neural networks directly within shader code, utilizing the specialized AI hardware available in GPUs from Nvidia, AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm. Microsoft asserts that this advancement will be accessible across all GPU brands via the DirectX API, not just Nvidia’s offerings.
Microsoft’s approach is based on cooperative vector support, which “directly enhances the performance of neural rendering techniques.” This support allows for matrix multiplication to be executed directly from shader code, enabling neural networks to operate irrespective of the GPU manufacturer. Currently, major GPU brands feature dedicated AI hardware, and cooperative vectors will enable developers to leverage this hardware through shader coding.
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Having cross-vendor support for neural shaders is a game-changer. In the past, Nvidia operated a closed system called GameWorks that only functioned with Nvidia graphics cards. This suite included elements such as PhysX featured in titles like Batman: Arkham City and Mirror’s Edge, as well as HairWorks showcased in games like The Witcher 3 and Final Fantasy XV.
With the broad neural rendering support provided by DirectX, developers will hopefully be more inclined to incorporate neural shaders without worrying about excluding a portion of gamers. Nvidia has already exhibited the potential of neural rendering with features like the Neural Radiance Cache, which employs a neural network to predict light interactions in path-traced scenes, thereby enhancing both the visual fidelity and performance of path-traced games.
Although the announcement regarding DirectX is fresh, it will take time before we see neural rendering functionalities implemented in games. Nvidia and Microsoft are merely establishing the framework for these groundbreaking rendering techniques, so it may be several years before we witness games effectively utilizing small neural networks through shader code. Nevertheless, the applications for these techniques are extensive, potentially ushering in a new era of rendering capabilities across GPUs from all manufacturers.
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