When a game requires “Microsoft Visual C++ (year)” or “DirectX (number)” to be installed along with the game itself, what are those things and how does the game use them to work?

Question

Often when installing a game through a digital storefront, after the game has downloaded and installed, but before rubbing for the first time, it will download various files titled “Visual c++ library 2008” etc, even if previous games have installed them. I suppose the main things I’m wondering are; What are these things, why do the games need them to work, and why aren’t they included in the files Steam/Epic/Uplay downloads when you install the game?

In: Technology

Answer 1

Basically, to steal other people’s code.

Visual C++ Library 2008 is a code bundle that Microsoft provides for free. It does a bunch of stuff, like controlling the mouse, reading the keyboard, etc. Developers will hijack this so they don’t have to do in the thousands of hours of work that Microsoft has already done for them. This timesave is very popular, hence why you have to install those libraries.