For many months now, Microsoft has been making performance enthusiasts dream by mentioning the immediate arrival of DirectStorage, an API directly from the Xbox Series world. The DirectStorage API reduces game loading times by establishing a direct transfer between SSD and GPU. In this article, let us check what is DirectStorage in detail below and how to enable it on Windows 11 operating system.
What is DirectStorage and how to enable it on Windows 11?
DirectStorage (and its RTX IO equivalent from Nvidia) allows NVMe SSDs to send data directly to the graphics card’s VRAM, bypassing the CPU and system memory. So that removes the need for the CPU while freeing it up to handle other tasks, and if the initial results from Xbox Series X games are any indication, DirectStorage could be a game-changer when it hits Windows. Microsoft intends to reduce the loading times of PC games as well as the mapping of textures.
Thus games will be able to load directly to the graphics card, which will speed things up a lot, especially if the PC has an SSD hard drive. A welcome novelty that will probably allow small configurations to take advantage of more speed to launch games or load certain areas.
How to Enable DirectStorage on Windows 11
The DirectStorage API (Application Programming Interface), the high-performance storage technology introduced on the latest Xbox Series consoles, will arrive on Windows 10 and not just on Windows 11, Microsoft has confirmed it. This means that Microsoft won’t force gamers to use the latest operating system to enjoy the DirectStorage technology, as many feared.
DirectStorage is basically an API and you do not have to do anything to enable this feature as it is a built-in function in the latest operating system. Actually, the game developers use this API to develop video games.
After the game developers implement this feature in their games, you just have to launch the DirectStorage-compatible games on Windows 11 and the rest will be taken care of by the system itself. For the time being, there are no games available with the DirectStorage feature, however, it is expected to release at the starting of 2021.
That is all you need to know about what is DirectStorage in Windows 11 and how to enable it. For more Windows 11 tips and tricks, check out our other Windows 11 Guides only on TechNClub.com.
