Codemasters trotted out the PC version of Colin McRae: DiRT 2 today at the Windows 7 launch in New York, showing off the snazzy DirectX 11 features the game was delayed for.

The DirectX 11 effects actually look rather impressive, though I'm not sure they amount to anything that really warranted the game being delayed on the PC. I guess that's what comes of forming a strategic alliance with Microsoft to gain early access to the DirectX 11 tech.

"The opportunity to enter into a strategic relationship with Microsoft to fuse key DirectX 11 technologies with Codemasters' EGO™ Engine and set the new standard in race gaming on home computers was irresistible," said Bryan Marshall, chief technical officer, Codemasters. "By taking advantage of the DirectX 11 feature set included in Windows 7, including hardware tessellation, multi-threading and Shader Model 5.0, we will deliver the most immersive and realistic off-road racing experience yet and set the technical benchmark in the genre."

Really, they're the kind of effects you only notice if you are watching someone else race. Pretty, but ultimately unnecessary.

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