Dark And Darker: Should I Use DX11 or DX12?

The dungeon crawler Dark and Darker is fully compatible with both DX11 and DX12, making the game available and accessible for players with vastly different software. While DX12 is the newer software, you might be wondering if there's a good reason to switch to DX11 instead. If you're not sure whether to use DX11 or DX12 when playing Dark and Darker, here's the answer to your question.

7 June 2023 Update - We've updated this article with any changes to whether it's best to run Dark and Darker on DX11 or DX12.

What Is DX11 and DX12?

DirectX software is a type of software used on computers to showcase graphical effects in games. DirectX introduces raytracing, mesh shaders, and other effects. There are multiple versions of DirectX, with the company regularly releasing new editions. DX12 is the newest version of DirectX, while DX11 came directly before it. Dark and Darker is compatible with both DX11 and DX12.

Should You Use DX11 Or DX12 In Dark and Darker?

Dark and Darker is designed to be compatible with the newest software available, DX12. Therefore, Dark and Darker comes by default with DX12 and will run fine without you switching to DX11 on most computers. However, if you find yourself running into problems while playing with DX12, you should consider switching to DX11 instead.

How To Enable DX11 In Dark And Darker

If you want to enable DX11 in Dark and Darker, you'll need to take a few simple steps to change the version of DirectX that the game runs in Steam.

Here's how to enable DX11 in Dark and Darker:

1. Open Steam.
2. Open your Library by clicking the tab at the top of the screen.
3. Find Dark and Darker in your list of games.
4. Right-click the game.
5. Select 'Properties' from the drop-down list.
6. Click 'Ask when starting game.'
7. Choose' Play Dark and Darker with DX11.'

After that, just save your settings and you'll be good to go! If you were running into issues while using DX12, it's very possible that running DX11 instead could help you fix your game.

That's all you need to know about DX11 and DX12 in Dark and Darker. The game is compatible with both versions of DirectX, but you should stick with DX12 unless you're having issues. Thankfully, if DX12 is giving you problems, it's a simple process to switch to DX11 in the dungeon crawler.