Fortnite is getting DirectX 12 support and AMD is ready with a new GPU driver

Epic Games is preparing an update to Fortnite (v11.20) that will introduce DirectX 12 support on compatible graphics cards. While players await the patch, AMD has already made available a Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition 2019 driver update to leverage the upcoming DX12 patch.

"By using DX12, PC players with high-end GPUs may experience a higher and steadier frame rate. This is because DX12 delivers better CPU performance and allows for the distribution of rendering jobs across multiple cores," Epic Games explains.

In addition to the promised immediate performance boost, Epic Games said it plans on "adding features to Fortnite that are made possible by DX12" in the future, though the developer did not go into specifics.

If you own a Radeon graphics card or GPU (or plan to upgrade to one when the Black Friday deals roll into view), AMD's new 19.11.3 driver release ensures your setup is ready for the update. And that's really all it brings to the table. The release notes mention more than a half a dozen bug fixes too, but they're the same ones that applied to the previous driver update. They include:

Radeon RX 5700 series graphics products may intermittently experience loss of display or video signal during gameplay.
Radeon RX 5700 series graphics products may experience stutter in some games at 1080p and low game settings.
Performance Metrics Overlay may cause stutter or screen flashing on some applications.
Toggling HDR may cause system instability during gaming when Radeon ReLive is enabled.
AMD Radeon VII may experience elevated memory clocks at idle or on desktop.
Performance Metrics Overlay may report incorrect VRAM utilization.
Invoking Radeon Overlay may cause games to lose focus or become minimized when HDR is enabled within Windows.

In short, if you play Fortnite on a Radeon-powered Windows 10 PC, this driver is for you. If you don't play Fornite, however, you needn't bother with this release.

You can grab the latest Adrenalin release through AMD's Radeon Software, or by going here to download and install it manually. And as always, check out our guide on how to update drivers for tips on best practices.

Paul has been playing PC games and raking his knuckles on computer hardware since the Commodore 64. He does not have any tattoos, but thinks it would be cool to get one that reads LOAD"*",8,1. In his off time, he rides motorcycles and wrestles alligators (only one of those is true).