Publisher Codemasters has confirmed that the PC version of upcoming racer Colin McRae: Dirt 2 has been delayed from its initial September release date until some time in December – though the reward will be the integration of DirectX 11.

DirectX 11, the latest iteration of Microsoft’s PC gaming SDK, is due to arrive alongside Windows 7 in September. It will come bundled with the new OS and will be available as a downloadable upgrade to users of Windows Vista.

Dirt 2 will also support Microsoft’s Games for Windows: Live multiplayer network.

“While the console editions of Colin McRae: DiRT 2 will retain their September ship date, we believe that the DirectX 11 feature set is too compelling to ignore, especially considering how much more it can add to the visual experience for PC gamers,” Codemasters’ chief technical officer Bryan Marshall stated.



“As a leader in digital racing entertainment, we are staying ahead of the pack by immediately taking advantage of key new technologies such as hardware tessellation, multi-threading and Shader Model 5.0 to deliver the most realistic, immersive and exhilarating racing experiences in the business.

"The fusion of DirectX 11 with Codemasters’ EGO Engine will raise the technical bar considerably in the racing genre.”

The Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS and PSP versions of Colin McRae: Dirt 2 will all be released in September.