Microsoft has revealed that the Windows Vista version of Halo 2 will not benefit from the DirectX 10 features that gamers had expected although the company does claim the game will benefit from some certain performance benefits.
The news that Halo 2 would be a Vista only title had angered gamers but did lead to discussion regarding the possibility of DX10 functionality in the game as Microsoft's new APIs will only be available on Windows Vista. Microsoft has now shattered those hopes and has left us wondering whether its choice to make Halo 2 a Vista-only game is purely marketing based.
Before we can judge MS however, we have to see what the company means when it claims that the, DX9 based, Halo 2 for Vista will benefit from some performance benefits. If those benefits are something more than improved frame rates we will really have to question the logic behind the release, especially as most fans of the Halo franchise will already be immersed in the Halo 3 beta before Halo 2 even becomes available for Vista (Q1, 2007).
