Microsoft DirectStorage was developed to enhance the PC gaming experience by optimizing game and application load times, especially for those requiring high storage bandwidth.
Typically, game assets follow a multi-step process: data is retrieved from the SSD, processed by the CPU, sent to RAM, returned to the CPU, and finally delivered to the GPU. DirectStorage significantly streamlines this by allowing assets to be accessed directly from the SSD to the GPU, bypassing most of these steps.
This technology helps eliminate performance bottlenecks, even on high-end systems, ensuring smoother gameplay and faster load times. For many PC gamers, this means a noticeable improvement in performance without the usual input/output slowdowns.
Problems without DirectStorage
While the traditional data path from storage to CPU, RAM, and GPU isn’t necessarily a major issue, it can become a bottleneck in games that rely on large amounts of assets, such as Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
These bottlenecks occur because the CPU is responsible for decompressing game data, which can overload the processor and slow down loading times. In theory, this should be a straightforward process, but without Microsoft’s DirectStorage API, it becomes inefficient and restrictive, limiting overall performance.
How DirectStorage works on PC
The biggest innovation DirectStorage brings to PC gaming is its ability to bypass the CPU during the decompression process. With this API, the GPU can directly access NVMe SSD data, streamlining the entire process and eliminating bottlenecks.
As a result, players can experience lower latency, higher bandwidth, and significantly faster loading of textures, models, and other in-game assets.
For DirectStorage to function properly, GPU-based decompression is essential. Since the API skips the CPU’s role in this process, the GPU must handle it instead. Graphics cards from NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel that support DirectX 12 Ultimate and Shader Model 6.0 are fully compatible with this technology.
DirectStorage Benefits
Microsoft’s DirectStorage API offers several benefits for both gamers and users who rely heavily on GPU performance. Specifically for gaming, players can expect the following improvements:
- Significantly reduced loading time: By advancing communication between SSD and GPU, players can notice higher speeds and fluid gameplay in demanding titles.
- Rich and detailed game worlds: Without delay in loading SSD data, players have a broader view of the map elements, as well as textures, creating better visuals.
- Soft transitions between scenes and gameplay: You remember when you were playing, a black screen came up, a cutscene appeared, another black screen and then could you play again? With DirectStorage, this becomes much faster and is often presented fluidly (without the user noticing the transition).
- Better use of components: Without the bottlenecks, your SSD and GPU can show all your potential and capacity for various games.
DirectStorage Requirements And Compatibility
For the user to use DirectStorage, it is necessary to have at least these components equipped on their PC:
| Requirements to use API DirectSorage on your PC | |
| Minimum requirement | |
| SSD | NVME (PCIE 3.0 or higher) |
| GPU | Compatible with Directx 12 Ultimate and Shader Model 6.0 (Nvidia GeForce RTX 20, RTX 30, RTX 40 and RTX 50; AMD Radeon RX 6000/7000/9000 and Intel Arc Series A/Series b) |
| Operating system | Windows 10 and Windows 11 (the latter brings additional optimizations to users) |
Microsoft nods to gamers
As hardware continues to evolve, many users have noticed that Microsoft’s existing technology wasn’t fully utilizing the potential of modern components. With DirectStorage, Microsoft is signaling to gamers that it’s actively working to enhance system performance and keep up with these advancements.
This API is especially valuable in today’s gaming landscape, where titles are becoming larger and more complex, requiring fast data processing. Games like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Starfield, Cyberpunk 2077, and Horizon Forbidden West already leverage DirectStorage to deliver smoother performance and richer visuals on PC.
Whether it’s reducing load times, boosting performance, enhancing in-game environments, or maximizing the power of your SSD and GPU, DirectStorage is an essential tool for gamers looking to experience true next-gen performance.
