Microsoft® DirectX® is an advanced suite of multimedia application programming interfaces (APIs) built into Microsoft Windows® operating systems. DirectX provides a standard development platform for Windows-based PCs by enabling software developers to access specialized hardware features without having to write hardware-specific code. This technology was first introduced in 1995 and is a recognized standard for multimedia application development on the Windows platform.

Simply put, DirectX is a Windows technology that enables higher performance in graphics (full-color graphics, video, 3-D animation) and sound (surround sound) when you're playing games or watching video on your PC.

Check out the DirectX Developer Center

Find in-depth content, community resources, downloads, product information, and more at this one-stop resource for developing with DirectX technologies.

• DirectX 9.0 (C++) Documentation
• DirectMusic Producer Documentation
• Technical Articles
• Code Samples
• Downloads

• DirectX on Microsoft.com
• DirectX 9 Developer FAQ
• Newsgroups
• Graphics and Multimedia Chats
• Related Communities for DirectX