Since XAudio2 version 2.8 is not available on Windows 7, Win32 desktop games that support older versions of Windows will need to continue to use XAudio 2.7. For XAudio 2.7 on any version of Windows, use the legacy DirectX SDK REDIST. REDIST: For XAudio 2.8 or later on Windows 8 and Windows RT, no redistribution is required since XAudio 2.8 is included with the OS. Windows phone: Windows phone 8 supports XAudio 2.8 as well. Update: This information also applies to Windows 8 RTM, Visual Studio 2012 RTM, Windows 8.1, and Visual Studio 2013. On Windows 10, this automatically redirects to the built-in version. In addition to providing Windows 7 support, it also provides xWMV playback support on Windows 8.x.

Windows 7 Update: There is now a NuGet package for using XAudio 2.9 down-level on Windows 7 Service Pack 1, Windows 8.0, and Windows 8.1. The headers and libraries for XAudio 2.8 are included in the Windows SDK 8.0 that is part of Visual Studio 11 Beta. The full details of the differences compared to XAudio2 2.7 which shipped in the DirectX SDK (June 2010) release are addressed on Microsoft Docs. If 8.1 ever becomes unviable for me I'll likely migrating to a non Microsoft OS like some form of Linux in the future.The Windows 8 Consumer Preview includes version 2.8 of the XAudio2 game audio API built in, and this API is fully supported for both Windows Store apps (including x86, 圆4, and Windows on ARM) and desktop Win32 applications. Data privacy and Microsoft's terrible Windows Update policy regarding that OS are just a couple of factors. There's a lot of issues I have with that OS. Eventually though I may attempt updating my current 7 install to that. I'm really only still on 7 currently because I have tons of apps I installed over the years that I'm just too lazy to reinstall + there's a few things that will probably not work in 8 that I may still want to use. You can install some third party tools to make the GUI (like the start menu) look more like 7's.

(Windows update on 8.1 is more like 7's). (Age of Empires Definitive Edition is one example of a game that will run in Windows 8.1 but not Windows 7).Ĩ.1 is closer to Win10 but without the terrible Windows Update BS that Win10 has. I suggest you at least upgrade to 8.1 even if it turns out if your game(s) still wont' work. Dont' recall if DX12 ever got support in Windows 8.1.

Dx12 win 8.1