NT同"9x"嘅分界線直到Windows XP嘅推出之後至消失，原因包括遊戲用嘅APIs—諸如OpenGL以及DirectX—已經成熟到有夠高嘅運作效率，並且加上硬體本身也有夠高嘅效能，纔能夠以可接受嘅速度運行API。
The dividing line between NT and "9x" didn't disappear until the introduction of Windows XP, partly because the APIs for gaming—such as OpenGL and DirectX—have matured high enough to run efficiently, and the hardware itself is efficient enough to run the API at acceptable speeds.