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| Microsoft launches DirectStorage |
Microsoft announced 18 months ago that one of the biggest developments for the Xbox Series X platform coming to PC is the ability to stream large amounts of data from fast NVMe drives to the GPU, rather than relying on the CPU decompressing it first.
It promises to bring one of the best Xbox Series X features to PC, the Quick Redeem.
The so-called DirectStorage API allows games to load more detailed worlds faster than ever before.
The company now claims that the DirectStorage API has arrived. Windows games are now available with DirectStorage.
However, the company still has to decide which games will be supported by the new DirectStorage API.
DirectStorage enhances the interaction of the GPU with the SSD to significantly speed up data transfer, resulting in faster PC load times.
On the Xbox Series X, AMD's integrated GPU interacts with the SSD, allowing for fast resuming, essentially preserving the state of the game that allows it. Instead of downloading the app and then the game, Quick Resume resumes the game.
Microsoft wants to significantly reduce load times
The company said in a blog post that this public SDK release heralds a new era in the world of fast load times and detail in PC gaming by allowing developers to take full advantage of the speed of the latest gaming peripherals.
It works with Windows 10's DirectStorage API and Windows 11. However, the company says that Windows 11 is the recommended method for gaming.
Before you try to find games that take full advantage of fast NVMe 4.0 drives and compatible motherboards, you should know that these games aren't available yet.
The developers have been able to test the technology in advance since July. But its real arrival may not come until the Game Developers Conference on March 23.
AMD and Luminous Productions will then explain how they brought DirectStorage to Forspoken.
Forspoken was one of the first tech game shows. You won't be able to try it out until October 11th, although the game's release was delayed last week.