Which DirectX do I have? Find out the version

In order to use various applications on Windows, such as games, additional software is necessary in some cases. If you want to run games with complex 2D and 3D graphics, DirectX is usually necessary. Depending on the game, you may need the latest version of the interface.

How to find out which DirectX version you have

In order to play especially graphics-intensive games on Windows, you usually need an additional API or programming interface. In the case of a Windows operating system, DirectX is used. At the beginning of the game, you will be made aware that DirectX is being installed. In some cases, you will have to choose which version you want to run the application with. If you do not know which version you have installed at the moment, you can find out. Here you use the DirectX diagnostic program.

1. On your desktop, in the lower left corner, go to "Start" or the Windows icon.
2. Then open the "Run" option. Alternatively, you can also find and open the dialog via the search function of Windows 10.
3. Then enter "dxdiag" in the text field and confirm the entry via the "Ok" button.
4. A window will now open. Switch here to the tab "System".
5. Now is in the view the line DirectX version, in which you can read the current version of your DirectX installation.
6. Note, if you can not open a window with "dxdiag", you may have installed a version before 5.0. Then you should directly install the latest version.