When Microsoft was hyping up all things gaming with Windows 11, the company mentioned that DirectStorage would be a huge upcoming feature. Basically, this nifty bit of software would take all the advancements Xbox Series SSDs use, and transfer them over to PC gaming.
Well, that storage API is now available, after Microsoft collected plenty of feedback during developer preview stages. DirectStorage is compatible with Windows 10, although Microsoft advises an upgrade to Windows 11 to get the most out of the software.
In regards to what DirectStorage actually does, well, it makes everything faster basically. You may remember Xbox talking about its "Velocity Architecture" with Xbox Series X|S, and this basically brings that over to PC. Games will load much faster using SSD storage in tandem with the software, and in-game assets and the like will be accessed much quicker too.
Also, the hope is that by bringing PC storage methods closer to current gen consoles, that'll enable developers to make better use of these newfound SSD speeds. We're currently in the midst of a pretty lengthy cross-generation period, but when that passes, we should see some truly incredible leaps in the technology powering games.
What do you want to see most from developers once last-gen is ditched? Let us know in the comments.
Comments 17
1) Are there any Series S|X games that currently use Direct Storage API? Do we know this explicitly?
2) Why do series S|X consoles only use two lanes per SSD module (internal /x2, external card x2)?
We're already at a point where my PC loads games faster than my Series X. This'll just make it that much worse lol. Particularly when you can use any SSD in a PC or PS5, unlike Xbox.
I'll stick with Windows 10 thanks. When they have Windows 11 commercials lying about how things are better when they are not, I'm not going to believe them any other time.
@InterceptorAlpha Direct Storage is new and I believe doesn't exist yet in any current title.
Xbox Series X is still working on a Windows 10 backbone.
Even Microsoft said Direct Storage will work on Windows 10.
I'm sure the new consoles will be using Windows 11 by the time Direct Storage games are available.
This is the problem when promoting things that don't exist, their commercials are very misleading.
Sounds like they're going to phase out hard drives for gaming on PC's shame because they're alot more affordable than SSD's
@Savage_Joe that's a good idea didn't think about that
@theduckofdeath I don't think there has been any game that has made full use of the Velocity Architecture.
Looking at the official list of games coming to Series X|S, Halo Infinite was the last first-party game to support Smart Delivery, so I think it's safe to say that X1 development is completely done internally - which hopefully means that we'll start seeing games actually using the hardware better.
@InterceptorAlpha Not entirely true. It depends which PC game you're talking about. You can't use any SSD in a PS5 or PC, it has to compatible first. For example, I can't stick a PCI Gen 4 NVMe SSD into a PC unless it has an NVMe slot on the motherboard.
@iplaygamesnstuff The consoles aren't working on Windows 10 or Windows 11 lmao. If that were true you could stick any PC game onto Xbox which simply isn't the case. They're using a custom OP.
@Acurisur You should look up said information before laughing at me in response.
In November 2015, Microsoft released the "New Xbox One Experience" which replaced the base system with Windows 10 Core, allowing Universal Windows Platform apps to be available on Xbox One. According to the current head of Microsoft's Gaming division, Phil Spencer, "The importance of entertainment and games to the Windows ecosystem has become really prevalent to the company". The program that Microsoft launched allows developers to build a single app that can run on a wide variety of devices, including personal computers and Xbox One video game consoles. According to Polygon, Microsoft removed the distinction between Xbox One and Windows PC, and the software has been called "Windows 10 on Xbox One".
Since 2016, all Xbox One consoles could be updated to include a development kit for universal Windows applications on Xbox One, with official support for the platform and Cortana coming in summer 2016.
As Microsoft continued to refine Windows 10 with the Fluent Design System, the Xbox One interface was also modified to reflect these changes by 2017. Microsoft has since continued to refine this interface to add and remove integrated features, such as inclusion of Xbox Game Pass support and removal of Cortana voice commands. Ahead of the release of the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles in November 2020, Microsoft updated the Xbox One software to reflect changes in the Dashboard that would also be present in the newer consoles. This included improved performance in some of the storefront features and readability improvements to the interface, which were also propagated across Xbox Game Pass and mobile apps.
You are right it is custom, but as you can see Windows 10 is the backbone of the Xbox One systems up to the latest Xbox Series S|X
@Acurisur I'm talking about off the shelf parts when I say "any". Something not possible in the slightest on Xbox.
Also that's incorrect in reference to a PC. You can get a NVMe card for a PCI slot.
@InterceptorAlpha It helps if you read the entire comment, I specifically said Gen 4 NvMe SSD, they don't work in a PCI slot.
I should know, I have 2 of them in my PC.
@iplaygamesnstuff And I said you can't play any Windows game on an Xbox, which was MY point. A point you conveniently ignored.
Wonder why that was? Because it's not "Windows 10", it's a custom OP based on Windows 10 code. Two entirety different things.
@Acurisur it is built on top of windows 10 which you originally denied. Bye Felicia!
@iplaygamesnstuff You sound like a child when you call people names because they don't agree with you.
It's not Windows 10, it's built on the same code BASE as Windows 10.
Xbox uses a custom OS.
By your logic Windows 11 and 10 are the same - they're built on the same code base but there are differences, things such as Direct Acess Storage doesn't run as well on 10 as 11.
You lost the argument, stop prattling on with exactly the same comment over and over.
@Acurisur Wow. Awful fun hill to die on. You DO understand a m.2 is just the standard for the connector, right? What you're plugging into is a a regular ol' PCIE Mini on regular ol' PCIE lanes.
Now circling back to my previous comment you ignored, you can get m.2 to PCIE adapters.
I'm very confused by the high and mighty attitude though. You're giving off the impression you think you're the only person here that maintains a PC. You're not.
@InterceptorAlpha I ignored it just like you ignored me specifically stating M.2 Gen 4 wise guy. You can't just slap an adapter on your motherboard and call it a day with those, you need a PCI Gen 4 motherboard, such as the ASUS TUF Gaming X570 in my PC.
Now push off.
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