As a PC gamer, you might have already heard about DirectStorage. Announced way back in 2020 by Microsoft, DirectStorage is an API that aims to significantly reduce game loading times, improve GPU performance, and reduce CPU overhead, mainly on Windows 11. While DirectStorage was publicly released to developers in March 2022, gamers have yet to see the technology deliver the transformative benefits Microsoft had promised years ago.

Much of the delay in the widespread adoption of DirectStorage is linked to the challenges developers are facing in implementing the technology and overcoming some unwanted issues that it introduces in games. Although most NVMe SSDs and modern graphics cards already support DirectStorage, there is still much to be done to fully leverage its potential. Let's look at the 5 main things you need to know to stay abreast of what's happening with DirectStorage on Windows 11.

5 How exactly does DirectStorage work?

What goes on under the hood?

The conventional way of streaming game assets works by loading compressed assets from the storage to the RAM, at which point they are decompressed by the CPU, and then moved from the RAM to the GPU VRAM. What DirectStorage does, in a nutshell, is allow games to utilize the high bandwidth of NVMe SSDs and enable the GPU to take over the decompression step, accelerating the entire pipeline and moving the bulk of the load from the CPU to the GPU.

The CPU isn't eliminated from the pipeline, contrary to what most people think. It still handles the IO requests, but unlike the older way of doing things, the CPU is helped by high-speed NVMe hardware, which is why the biggest benefits of DirectStorage are seen on NVMe SSDs, and not SATA SSDs or hard drives (yes, DirectStorage is now supported on them too).

GPU decompression wasn't always a feature of DirectStorage, but was introduced in DirectStorage 1.1 in November 2022. With DirectStorage 1.2 in April 2023, Microsoft also introduced a buffered IO mode which essentially speeds up data transfer from slower drives such as HDDs as well, bringing them into the fold. In addition to reducing game load times as assets spend less time residing in the storage and are decompressed much faster, DirectStorage also improves GPU performance by offering the extra bandwidth of the SSD for use by the GPU.

4 State of DirectStorage in 2024

The story up to now

There's no debate that DirectStorage has been less than a hit, at least so far. While a handful of games have implemented the technology and shown promising results — Forspoken, Horizon Forbidden West, Forza Motorsport, and more — the game industry has largely been unable to adopt the technology to a significant extent.

The challenges behind it aren't completely unknown either. The PC port of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart shipped with DirectStorage support, but was found to run smoother without it (when some gamers deleted the associated files and noticed the improvements). Game developers have been facing difficulties showing universal benefits of DirectStorage across games, with it being mostly situational. They have also faced struggles migrating to the newer DirectStorage API and programming games around it.

While it's a foregone conclusion that more and more games will ship with DirectStorage support in 2025 and beyond, it's safe to assume that the technology isn't going to transform games anytime soon, especially for those already rocking high-speed NVMe SSDs and powerful gaming GPUs.

3 What do you need for DirectStorage?

The hardware requirements aren't that steep

So, what kind of hardware do you need to take advantage of DirectStorage when it finally becomes more common in games? While Microsoft recommends Windows 11 for the best results, Windows 10 is also supported, albeit with reduced functionality. Besides the OS version, you also need at least a PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD and a GPU with DirectX 12 support. The requirements are summarized below for your reference:

• Windows 10 version 1909 or later
• NVMe SSD (PCIe 3.0 or faster) for best results (although SATA SSDs and HDDs are also supported)
• GPU with support for DirectX 12 and Shader Model 6.0

Despite many people already having graphics cards with support for DirectStorage, they probably won't be able to see great results in the near future. According to Nixxes, the developer behind the PC ports of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and the Horizon games, when working on the port of Forbidden West, "the GPU decompression API is too restrictive as to how you can mix and match decompression formats, and GPU decompression can cause scheduling issues in the driver we can't account for."

This is why Horizon Forbidden West, despite using DirectStorage, doesn't use GPU decompression and still relies on the CPU for the same. Next-generation graphics cards might feature a hardware decompression block similar to that present on consoles to improve the decompression side of things. With the issues surrounding GPU decompression resolved in time, we might be able to see DirectStorage deliver the results gamers have wanted to see for so long.

2 Keep Windows and GPU drivers updated

Don't miss out on DirectStorage improvements

The latest major release (DirectStorage 1.2) is almost two years old now, but Microsoft is likely working on bringing refinements with updated versions, if not another major release. Keeping your Windows 11 system updated will automatically give you access to the latest DirectStorage version, available to be used by any game that supports it.

Besides Windows, it is also recommended to keep your GPU drivers updated, especially when a new version accompanies a new game release. If the developers manage to implement DirectStorage in the game, updating your GPU driver will likely give you the best performance. As Microsoft releases new versions of DirectStorage, GPU manufacturers such as Nvidia, AMD, and Intel will also release drivers to support them.

Those of you with older GPUs lacking DirectX 12 support will not be able to leverage DirectStorage, however, and should consider upgrading down the line if you want to experience the technology.

1 DirectStorage on Windows 10

Should you migrate to Windows 11 ASAP?

I'm one of the many users still holding out on the Windows 11 upgrade, not willing to let go of Windows 10 just yet. Over 60% of desktop users still use Microsoft's older Windows version, which is set to reach end of life October 2025. For gamers who want to stay in the best possible position to benefit from any DirectStorage games on the market or ones that will come out later, moving to Windows 11 might be the safest option.

For those who don't consider a few seconds of load time and some extra GPU performance enough of a reason to upgrade, Windows 10 is still a great operating system. It suffers from fewer ads, will enjoy support for another 10 months, and, most importantly, feels familiar to more than half of the desktop PC users. Note that DirectStorage is still supported on Windows 10, so you will get some benefits in games that leverage the technology.

The best results will be seen on Windows 11, but there's still a lot of time to make your decision. When more titles receive DirectStorage support, and graphics cards become better at GPU decompression, users will be able to make a more informed choice whether to jump to Windows 11 or stick with Windows 10.

The final form of DirectStorage is worth waiting for

I'm bullish on the future of DirectStorage, willing to move to Windows 11 if it means a significantly better gaming experience in most of the titles I play. However, it seems that adoption is growing slowly, and the underlying hardware still needs some more development to fully utilize the promise of DirectStorage. NVMe SSDs are already fast enough for DirectStorage to work its magic; it's the graphics cards that need to catch up to solve the GPU decompression piece of the puzzle.

Intel's Battlemage GPUs have already started coming out, and with Nvidia's RTX 5000 and AMD's RX 8000 series to be revealed by CES 2025, we will be able to get a better picture of where the technology is heading in the near future. We might have to wait for yet another generation of GPUs to see advanced hardware decompression, but the wait will be worth it to experience the game-changing improvements DirectStorage will bring to PC gaming.