What you need to know about using DirectStorage:
- Click on Windows Key + G > Gear icon > Game features , and check out my section. Graphics و Direct Storage To see if your device is compatible.
- For DirectStorage to work, your computer needs a drive. NVMe SSDs وgraphics card agree with DirectX 12.
- DirectStorage is enabled automatically if your computer supports it, so you don't need to turn it on.
This article explains how to use DirectStorage in Windows 11 to improve game loading times.
How to Use DirectStorage in Windows 11
DirectStorage is integrated into Windows 11 operating system So you don't need to do anything to enable it. If your computer has the necessary hardware to run DirectStorage, and you're playing a DirectStorage-compatible game, Windows 11 will automatically take advantage of this feature to improve loading times and game performance.
For DirectStorage to work, your computer needs to meet or exceed these specifications:
- NVMe SSD (PCIe 4.0 recommended)
- Video card that supports DirectX 12 and Shader Model 6.0
- Windows 11 operating system
Note: Windows 10 also supports DirectStorage via a patch, but Microsoft recommends using Windows 11.
How to check if your computer can use DirectStorage
If you're unsure whether your computer is compatible with DirectStorage, there's something you can check. You'll need to check the type of storage drive you have and the type of video card you have.
Here's how to check if your computer can use DirectStorage:
- Click on Windows Key + G To open Xbox game Bar On your Windows 11 PC, click gear icon.
- Click Games Features.
- Search messages your system is ready DirectX 12 Ultimate , support DirectStorage. If you see both messages, your computer supports DirectStorage.
How to enable DirectStorage on a computer that doesn't support it
If your Windows 11 PC doesn't meet the requirements for DirectStorage, you won't be able to enable the feature. If you choose to upgrade your PC, you'll need to Installing an NVMe SSD وUpgrade your graphics card to DirectX 12. After performing these upgrades, Windows 11 will automatically enable DirectStorage for games that support it.
What is DirectStorage and how does it work?
DirectStorage is a feature developed by Microsoft for Xbox consoles that can improve loading times and graphics performance when gaming on Windows 11 by speeding up data storage and retrieval. It takes advantage of the incredibly fast read and write times offered by NVMe drives, which is why the feature is unavailable if you don't have an NVMe drive.
In addition to taking advantage of fast NVME drives, DirectStorage also uses your graphics card to handle the compressed data directly, rather than having the CPU first decompress everything (which is how things normally work). This eliminates a potential bottleneck, as the graphics card can start rendering immediately rather than waiting on the CPU, which is why DirectStorage won't work if your video card doesn't support DirectX 12.
When your computer has both an NVMe video card and DirectX 12, and a game developer chooses to leverage DirectStorage, the result is significantly faster loading times. Microsoft states that loading times can be up to 40 times faster, and in many cases, this results in almost instant loading.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q1: Will DirectStorage make the game run faster?
The answer: In one way, yes; in another, perhaps more important, way, no. If you're talking about loading games and generally waiting for the game to be ready to play, yes, it will be faster. Using a system with DirectStorage will improve graphics smoothness and frame rates, but no. For better, faster graphics, you need a better graphics card.
Q2: Will an SSD make gaming faster?
The answer: As with DirectStorage, yes, but mostly no. An SSD will make your game load faster, so there's less waiting to start a game and less waiting while new levels load into memory. An SSD is a worthwhile investment beyond gaming, as it speeds up boot times, application openings, and file saving.
