How to download and install DirectPlay for Windows 10 and Windows 11

If a certain game reports that its features require DirectPlay, don't be too quick to find where to download these components online - the approach to installing this missing component is quite different.

This easy beginner's guide on how to install DirectPlay for Windows 10 or Windows 11 and why you don't need to download it.

Installing DirectPlay on new systems

Microsoft DirectPlay components may be required for older games, but in newer operating systems, such as Windows 10 or Windows 11, they are disabled by default, although they are present and ready to be activated, that is, no download is necessary. DirectPlay. To install DirectPlay, follow these simple steps

1. Open the Control Panel and go to the "Programs and Features" section (to view it, put "Icons" in the "View" field at the top right). You can use the Windows 10 and 11 taskbar search to open the Control Panel. The second way to quickly open "Programs and Components" is to press the keys Win + R, enter appwiz.cpl and press Enter.
2. In the program list window, click "Turn Windows Components On or Off" on the left side.
3. In the list of available components, find the "Legacy Components" section and check "DirectPlay" and click "OK".

This will install DirectPlay on your computer or laptop: a restart is usually not required, but if the game continues to report missing components, try restarting.

An additional way to quickly install DirectPlay:

1. Run the command line as administrator
2. Enter the command

   dism / online / Enable-Feature / FeatureName: DirectPlay / All

   and hit Enter

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One last point: if a game requires DirectPlay, it may require some files from older versions of DirectX after enabling the components. If you do, download the DirectX installer from Microsoft's official website https://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/download/details.aspx?id=35 and it will install the missing files.