DirectStorage is a new API and Windows 11 feature that enables faster game loading times.
This technology supports expansive game worlds.
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What Does DirectStorage Do?
Microsoft originally developed DirectStorage as a DirectX API for the Xbox Series X and S consoles.
This technology aims at loading more game data simultaneously without putting a strain on your hardware.
Simply put, DirectStorage bridges the gap between storage and GPU technology.
Modern games load a lot of data.
They load only the items necessary for the current scene.
Unfortunately, this approach also generates a lot of requests.
The main problem is that the current APIs are not optimized for a high number of requests.
They treat requests individually.
Processing a large number of requests may sometimes create bottlenecks.
Thats exactly the problem that DirectStorage for PC aims to fix.
This technology allows game developers to create batch requests.
AsMicrosoft explains, DirectStorage can handle thousands of requests at the same time decompressing the GPU.
This leads to faster load times.
How Do I Enable DirectStorage on Windows 11?
DirectStorage is an API ( software Programming Interface) at its core.
As a Windows 11 user, you dont need to do anything to enable this feature.
Game developers can use this API to develop complex video games.
But first, you oughta wait for game developers to implement this feature in their games.
When you launch your DirectStorage-compatible games, your machine will take care of the rest.
At the time of writing, there are no games implementing this feature.
We expect the first DirectStorage compatible games to land at the beginning of 2023.
Time will tell how quickly game developers will embrace this new technology.
Namely, you need a 1TB NVMe SSD, and a DirectX12 GPU that supports Shader Model 6.0.
As a Windows user, you dont need to do anything specific to enable this feature.
The game devs will take care of everything.
Just confirm that your system meets the DirectStorage hardware requirements.
You need a 1TB NVMe SSD, and a DirectX12 GPU that supports Shader Model 6.0.
