Veteran gamers will remember a time when the PC was king, and graphics were constantly being pushed by developers. This was possible because graphics card and CPU manufacturers were constantly pushing out more powerful hardware, and since the PC was a leading platform back then, developers could make games that really took advantage of the platform’s strengths.

Because console gaming is now dominant, developers make games primarily with exisiting console hardware in mind, and when we consider that the Xbox 360 hardware is now five years old, it makes sense that graphics are no longer being advanced at a rapid rate.  

It’s not all bad, however, as developers are getting more out of limited hardware than ever before. There is far less demand now on PC gamers to upgrade their hardware, thanks to the console generation keeping system requirements in check. However, it also means that eye-candy-junkies may struggle to get their ocular fix.

However, PC benchmark designer Futuremark has shown what video game graphics could look like right now, when taking advantage of all the Directx 11 bells and whistles which are currently available.

The latest 3D Mark 11 benchmark trailer has been released, and shows off advanced tessellation and lighting effects rendered in real time under DirectX 11. Impressive volumetric lighting, and highly detailed post-processing delivers an image with unparalleled depth of field and other lens effects. It is worth re-iterating that the demo is rendered in real-time, so we could in theory see a game that looks this good. 

The video is worth watching in 1080p if your internet connection can stomach it.

3D Mark 11 DirectX 11 demo

“The High Temple tech demo showcases the amazing real-time graphics that are possible today using readily available DirectX 11 hardware,” said Jukka Mäkinen, Futuremark CEO.

3D Mark 11 will be out later this year, and there will be a free version available so you will be able to see just how well your PC can handle this benchmark. 

Discuss the 3D Mark 11 benchmark in the forums