New in v8.1: Updated graphics, faster frame rates, more immersive audio, support for "massively multiplayer games", (v8.1 included in Windows XP); Release Notes Upgrade Meter: 4
New in v8.0: Near photo-realistic graphics, scalability for massive multiplayer games, an improved audio experience, support for Microsoft SideWinder Game Voice Share voice communications technology, various other feature additions and bug fixes; Release Notes Upgrade Meter: 5
New in v7.0: Increased support for hardware-accelerated transformation and lighting through dedicated 3-D accelerators, support for environment mapping (allows for cool virsual effects like reflections on water), new software algorithms for 3-D sound, support for the DLS2 (Downloadable Sounds level 2) standard, Visual Basic language support Upgrade Meter: 5
New in v6.1: DirectMusic technology (with support for DLS - Downloadable Sounds), overall stability improvements; AMD 3-D support; single-pass multitexturing; texture compression; Direct3D, DirectDraw, and DirectSound performance improvements Upgrade Meter: 4
New in Media v6.0: DirectX 6.0 with support for WinNT; also adds DirectX Transform, updates DirectShow & DirectAnimation, and replaces ActiveMovie with Media Player 6.0 Upgrade Meter: 5
Pros: A must-have for games that have been written for DirectX; MMX support
Cons: Not all games make use of DirectX, no Win 3.x support, partial support for NT 4
