Epic Is Adding DX12 Support To Fortnite For Free Performance Boost

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Epic Games has announced that fans of Fortnite will get the opportunity to use DirectX 12 in v11.20 of the game. The game will still require a graphics card that runs DX11, but the option of using newer tech in DX12 will become available with this latest release. Epic says that PC gamers with high-end GPUs that support DX12 may experience higher and steadier frame rates during gameplay, which is always welcome news.

DX12 can offer higher and steadier frame rates by delivering better CPU performance that allows for the rendering chores to be distributed across multiple cores. Epic says that in the future, it will add features to Fortnite that are only made possible with DX12.

The game developers wants to allow Fortnite gamers to opt into DX12 before the features are added to give it "valuable information" for its development efforts and to help find any bugs that might be out there. Epic is asking fans who have capable cards and are interested in DX12 to jump into the game and give the feature a spin.

A lot has gone on with Fortnite in the last few months. The biggest recent Fortnite news was in mid-October when Fortnite Chapter 2 went live with new gameplay, vehicles, and a revamped battle pass. More recently, Fortnite added a harpoon gun for dealing damage and catching fish. The weapon deals 75 damage to payers and has ten shots. It's similar to the Grappler but doesn't include mobility. Other recent big news included Fortnite Pro FaZe Jarvis, who received a lifetime ban from the game for using an aimbot in a video that he published to YouTube.

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Shane McGlaun

Shane has been into tech since his dad brought home a Pong game when he was a toddler. A passion for gaming led to a passion for PC tech and hardware. That passion was eventually turned into a career writing about cool gadgets, computers, and automotive technology for some of the biggest publications online and in print. Shane also has a passion for the outdoors and when not writing about tech can be found hiking the trails of Colorado whilst keeping an eye open for nefarious rattlesnakes and bears.

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