Microsoft previews DirectX 12 tools that cut ray tracing memory demands

Microsoft released the Agility SDK 1.722 preview for DirectX 12 on October 28, 2026, delivering what it calls the most significant update to DirectX Raytracing since 2018. The preview introduces clustered geometry, partitioned top-level acceleration structures, and a GPU-driven API for building acceleration structures. In a test run on an AMD Radeon RX 9070, Microsoft reported that clustered geometry reduced acceleration structure memory from 7,519 MiB to 774 MiB—an 89.7% decrease—while lifting frame rates from 1.2 FPS to 79 FPS. [1][2][3]

The update changes how games process complex, shifting environments. Clustered geometry divides scenes into reusable clusters of up to 256 triangles and 256 vertices, avoiding the need to rebuild entire bottom-level structures from scratch. Meanwhile, partitioned TLAS targets scene-wide top-level structures by updating only modified regions. However, Microsoft cautioned that commercial games will not see identical gains, pointing out that clustered geometry lacks refit support and increased static build scratch memory from 1.83 MiB to 526 MiB in its test sample. [1]

The features do not require new hardware beyond existing ray tracing support, but they are currently limited to developers. Using them requires the 1.722 preview runtime, the Shader Model 6.10 preview shader compiler, Windows Developer Mode, and compatible drivers. Qualcomm plans Snapdragon X2 driver support in the first half of 2027, and Microsoft has not set a retail release date. [1]