With all of the excitement surrounding the testing and launch of Windows 7, it seems that one demographic of PC users have been left out…the gamers. While I have read a few articles on gaming in the new OS, very little has been said as to how Windows 7 will improve this experience. This is also one of the few areas that pertains to users of both PC and Mac users, because whether Mac users like to admit it or not, they probably use Windows for PC gaming. Many will contest that the PC gaming market is dying, but that’s perception of the few. There are a few popular titles that will probably never be written for a console, not to mention, a PC is able to constantly push the threshold of graphics because graphics cards are developed and upgraded more often than gaming consoles. So, what are the advantages of gaming in Windows 7 versus Vista or XP?
DirectX 11 – DirectX 11 is perhaps the largest improvement in Windows 7 gaming. PC game developers have already begun taking advantage of the improvements that DirectX 11 will allow. Stage Select claims that, “The power of DirectX 11 also claims to improve in-game details without sacrificing gameplay”.
Per Microsoft, DirectX 11 features include:
- Tessellation – Tessellation is implemented on the GPU to calculate a smoother curved surface resulting in more graphically detailed images, including more lifelike characters in the gaming worlds that you explore.
- Multi-Threading – The ability to scale across multi-core CPUs will enable developers to take greater advantage of the power within multi-core CPUs. This results in faster framerates for games, while still supporting the increased visual detailing.
- DirectCompute – Developers can utilize the power of discrete graphics cards to accelerate both gaming and non-gaming applications. This improves graphics, while also enabling players to accelerate everyday tasks, like video editing, on their Windows 7 PC.
Games for Windows- This didn’t quite take off in previous Windows, but a growing catalogue and more support should help turn the corner for Games for Windows. Microsoft touts that Games for Windows guarentees: Quality, Compatibility, Saftey Features and games are Easy to Play.
Games in Windows 7- While this feature was not always consistent in Windows Vista, I have found that every game I have installed in Windows 7 has found its way to the Games folder where it has been catalogued properly. This gives the user one place to store and keep track of all their games. Another feature that has made its way from Vista is the ability for Parents to control their kids gaming experiences using the Parental Control feature.
The Drawback to Windows 7 Gaming- Some games which are not designed to run on Windows 7 may have difficulty installing on the new OS. Compatibility Mode and patches may fix these hiccups, but it may be time to trash some old favorite titles. I haven’t had any major problems with games installing and running under Windows 7, except for Need For Speed: Undercover. Some users have been able to get this game to work, but I have visited every forum and tried pretty much everything and it’s a no go.
While this is certainly not a benchmark test to compare across the board, my own personal experience on Windows 7 has been great. Crysis, the quintessential measuring stick for graphics-intensive games has produced a higher frame rate and seems to run smoother on my installation of Windows 7 than Vista or XP (all on the same hardware). So, there you have it gamers, Microsoft hasn’t forgotten about you. In fact, with the promise of DirectX 11 and some impressive game titles in the pipeline…the best may be yet to come.
Sound off in the comments about your experiences with Windows 7 gaming. Also, if anybody has a sure-fire way to get NFS: Undercover to work for me, I’d appreciate any suggestions.
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