Direct3D 12 Renderer

Direct3D 12 is the default BeamNG.drive renderer on Windows starting with version 0.39. It supports modern rendering features such as Shader Model 6 effects, texture streaming, and HDR on compatible systems.

Direct3D 12 is available only on Windows. Native Linux uses the Vulkan renderer .

Minimum requirements

Direct3D 12 uses the regular BeamNG.drive minimum requirements :

OS: Windows 10 64-bit
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1600 or Intel Core i5-8400
Memory: 16 GB RAM
GPU: Minimum 6 GB VRAM (AMD Radeon RX 570 or Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060)
Driver: A current driver with Direct3D 12 support
Storage: 60 GB available space

A GPU reporting Direct3D 12 support does not necessarily meet the game’s performance or VRAM requirements.

Recommended requirements

For 1080p:

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel Core i7-9700
Memory: 32 GB RAM
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6700 or Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 with at least 8 GB VRAM
Driver: The latest stable driver from the GPU manufacturer
Storage: A fast SSD

Higher resolutions, multiple vehicles, large maps, and mods can require more GPU performance and VRAM.

Advanced technical requirements

For advanced users, developers, and modders, the Direct3D 12 renderer relies on the following specific API capabilities and hardware features:

Direct3D Feature Level: Matches hardware with feature level D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_11_0 up to D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_12_2.
Shader Model Support: Shader Model 6.0 or newer is required for Shader Model 6 effects, texture streaming feedback, and related compute paths. Shader Model 6.1 or newer is additionally required for native pixel shader barycentrics.
Wave Operations: Required by Shader Model 6 features such as texture streaming feedback and screen space shadows (D3D12_FEATURE_DATA_D3D12_OPTIONS1::WaveOps). Older hardware may not support wave operations even when Direct3D 12 is advertised. Wave ops may also be unavailable through older drivers or translation layers.
Barycentric Coordinates: Hardware support for barycentrics (D3D12_FEATURE_DATA_D3D12_OPTIONS3::BarycentricsSupported) is used for custom terrain optimizations, wireframe, and overdraw debugging.
Memory Allocation: Managed via the Direct3D 12 Memory Allocator (D3D12MA), requiring Resource Heap Tier 1 (D3D12_RESOURCE_HEAP_TIER_1) or above.
Resource Binding & Heaps: Requires D3D12 Resource Binding Tier 2 or above. Allocates a global CBV/SRV/UAV descriptor heap capped at 1,000,000 slots and a sampler descriptor heap capped at 2,048 slots. Complex scenes with heavy mod loads may approach these limits.
HDR: Supported on compatible displays and drivers when HDR output is enabled.

How to use Direct3D 12

Select the normal Launch (D3D12 renderer) option in the BeamNG.drive Launcher.

For troubleshooting, Direct3D 12 can also be selected with this Steam launch option:

-gfx d3d12

Remove the option after testing so the Launcher can control the renderer normally.

Direct3D 11 fallback

Direct3D 11 is an obsolete fallback renderer. It does not support texture streaming or features that require Shader Model 6.

If Direct3D 12 cannot start, first update the GPU driver and restart the computer. You can then test Direct3D 11 from the Launcher’s support tools or with:

-gfx dx11

Troubleshooting

If Direct3D 12 crashes, displays graphical errors, or does not start:

Confirm that the computer meets the minimum requirements.
Install the latest stable GPU driver directly from AMD, Intel, or Nvidia.
Remove custom launch options and try again.
Open the Launcher Support Tools and try Safe Mode.
Test Direct3D 11 to determine whether the problem is specific to Direct3D 12.

Running out of VRAM may cause severe slowdowns, blurry textures, graphical errors, or crashes. Reduce texture quality, resolution, and the number of spawned vehicles if VRAM usage is too high.

The current session log is beamng.log in the user folder . Include it when reporting an issue , together with the GPU model, driver version, and selected renderer.

Feedback and discussion

Direct3D 12 feedback and discussion thread: link to be added.