

#Valve source 2 windows#
I don’t know if this is entirely due to Source 2 (it could be down to some other changes in this alpha build of Dota 2), but it would make sense if that was the case. I also noticed, by looking at the Windows Task Manager, that this version of Dota 2 uses a 64-bit binary. One other thing worth noting: The Source 2 version of Dota 2 loads much, much faster than the Source 1 version. (Though, given the Xbox One’s use of DirectX/Direct3D, there will certainly be a D3D version of Source 2 at some point.) Personally, given Valve’s focus on cross-platform compatibility, the impending SteamOS/Steam Machines, and its declaration that OpenGL is faster than DirectX, I wouldn’t be surprised if Source 2 primarily targets OpenGL. There are some new DLLs in the Dota 2/Source 2 directory that suggest D3D10 and D3D11 are both available. Historically, Source is a multi-platform engine that uses a variety of low-level graphics APIs. ĭota 2, Source 1: Shadowfiend’s Raze, no particlesĪs for whether Source 2 uses DirectX/Direct3D, or OpenGL, the jury is still out. We won’t see any significant visual differences until developers/games target Source 2’s new features.

I wouldn’t worry too much, though - as far as I can tell, the Source 2 version of Dota 2 is using the exact same assets as the Source 1 version (yes, this means Source 2 appears to be backwards compatible with Source 1 games). It appears that some Dota 2 spells have different particle effects in Source 2 and lighting seems a bit fancier, indicating there’s been some underlying tweaks to the engine, but that’s about it. Visually, Source 2 currently looks very similar to Source 1.
#Valve source 2 how to#
Read on for our early impressions of the Source 2 engine, and how to try it out yourself. Officially, we hope that Valve is still holding out for Half-Life 3 as the first real Source 2 game - the math checks out: Source 1 + Source 2 = Half-Life 3. You can also run an alpha version of Dota 2 in the new Source 2 engine, making it unofficially the first Source 2 game. Oddly, Valve isn’t confirming that this is actually Source 2 - but the Steam and Dota 2 communities are confident that this is it. have just launched the long-awaited Source 2 engine… as part of the new Dota 2 Workshop Tools.
