Microsoft unveils DirectX Raytracing 1.2, promises major leaps in path tracing performance

Reflections Real-Time Ray Tracing

Microsoft just unveiled DirectX Raytracing (DXR) 1.2 at the Game Developers Conference 2025, an update to the DirectX technology stack it's calling "the next evolution in graphics." While the full showcase will be shown to the public later, the company is promising some major advancements in path tracing performance via opacity micromaps and shader execution reordering.

According to a developer blog post by Senior Program Manager Lead at Microsoft, Cassie Hoef, Microsoft is working with hardware partners like AMD, Intel, NVIDIA, and Qualcomm, as well as game developers, to showcase the latest DXR implementation.

The new technologies that will enable the massive performance boosts in ray tracing are described like this:

Opacity micromaps significantly optimize alpha-tested geometry, delivering up to 2.3x performance improvement in path-traced games. By efficiently managing opacity data, OMM reduces shader invocations and greatly enhances rendering efficiency without compromising visual quality.

Shader execution reordering offers a major leap forward in rendering performance — up to 2x faster in some scenarios — by intelligently grouping shader execution to enhance GPU efficiency, reduce divergence, and boost frame rates, making raytraced titles smoother and more immersive than ever. This feature paves the way for more path-traced games in the future.

"We’re thrilled that our hardware partners are fully embracing these cutting-edge features," added Microsoft. "NVIDIA has committed driver support across GeForce RTX GPUs, and we’re actively working with other hardware vendors, including AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, to ensure widespread adoption."

The company had also unveiled other upcoming technologies at the GDC presentation, including memory usage reduction with the use of "Neural Block Texture Compression," as well as neural supersampling and denoising for accurate real-time path tracing visuals without hurting performance.

Expect more information about DirectX Raytracing 1.2, with demos showcasing the improvements from developers, to arrive soon.