Is DirectX required for games to detect your graphics card?

[Planr]

Hey guys, I have a bit of a PC Gaming question here. Well, it's one my friend asked, and frankly, it makes no sense to me, so I'll ask you guys to see if you can understand what he's asking.

From what i've gotten, he's asking if he needs DirectX to run a Java-based game, because he thinks it wont detect his graphics card without DirectX. He's told me before that DirectX is the alternative to OpenGL, but I don't really know what he's talking about.

Friend: byw does it run on Direct X?
Planr: i dont understand the question
Planr: how would directx play any role in whether or not you can run it
Planr: thats like asking "can my car run on a half tank of gas if my air conditioning unit is working"
Planr: the two are totally unrelated
Friend: because wishout DirectX, tehgame might not detect my graphics card
Planr: explain
Friend: do you know what DirectX is?
Friend: ill tell you
Friend: it lets windows programs(including games) detect the hardware they run on
Friend: thats how the games know what speakers to use, what mic, etc.
Friend: if the game dosent support DirectX, it has a high chance of not detecting my graphics card, which i quite putdated
Friend: outdated*
Friend: and no graphics card= 1-2 FPS
Friend: Have i ever told you about my dissapointment with Quacke Live?
Planr: no
Friend: Quake*
Friend: well, i love Quake like my life
Friend: and Live came out, and i was so happy, so i got it
Friend: but, it used OpenGL, a program similar to DirectX
Friend: i dont have OpenGl tho, and that resulted in the game not detecting my graphics card
Friend: not even the speakers
Friend: i had 1-2 FPS and screwed up sound

So can someone please help me out here in understanding what he's talking about?

[Ad Bot]

[blockguy™]

no it's not

the OS itself is responsible for that

honestly i haven't a clue to what he is talking about

[ZSNO]

Now, if the game USES DirectX to render the game, then it's not going to work.
If it uses OpenGL, you don't need DirectX at all, just a graphics card that supports the version of OpenGL the game is using~

Also sounds like that kid has a computer from the 90's, or he screwed it up terribly.

[Planr]

yeah i don't understand how it could be a problem either. i need more feedback on this btw

[Oasis]

Dude, I heard Quacke Live was a genre defining game.

[Jubel]

If his card isnt opengl compatible he can't play it.

Although, the video card must be like pre-1993 for that to happen.

[Planr]

yeah and isnt opengl an industry standard anyways across all gpu's?