The next update of Universe Sandbox on Windows will require a graphics card that works with DirectX 12.

With the release of Update 35 | Space in a New Light in March 2025, we updated our stated minimum graphics requirements to DirectX 12, instead of DirectX 11. However, you may have been able to run the latest version of Universe Sandbox on computers that did not support DirectX 12.

Why Now? 

DirectX 12 will allow us to continue improving our planetary surface simulation, lighting models, dynamic resolution handling for improved performance, and more. 

We always planned for Update 35 to take advantage of DirectX 12 features. However, issues with Unity, the game engine we use to create Universe Sandbox, forced us to continue using DirectX 11 temporarily. 

While waiting for Unity to solve these issues, we kept our stated minimum requirements at DirectX 12, knowing it would be required in the near future. Those Unity issues have since been resolved, and our next update will require DirectX 12.

What is DirectX?

DirectX is helper software that sits between Windows and your graphics hardware. DirectX 12 was first released with Windows 10 in 2015. Read more on Wikipedia.

Does my computer support DirectX 12? 

You can find out which versions of DirectX your computer supports and install the latest version by following Microsoft’s support instructions.

The last version of Universe Sandbox that supports DirectX 11, Update 35.3, will always be accessible to those who purchased Universe Sandbox. Learn how to access old versions.