Your PC games are about to load much faster

By Fionna Agomuoh March 15, 2022

The DirectStorage API is now available for Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs, which should help games take advantage of faster storage.

Microsoft recently announced on its Developer Blog that the Application Programming Interface will be available for the Windows operating systems, “allowing developers to more fully utilize the speed of the latest storage devices.” This is intended to bring greater optimization for gaming on PCs in terms of speed, bandwidth, and latency.

Dying Light 2 is displayed on the HP Omen 27c monitor sitting on a desk. — Jacob Roach / Digital Trends

DirectStorage API brings the technology that allows Xbox Series X and Series S consoles to load quickly to PCs. The API also allows games to take advantage of higher speeds of the best solid-state drives or best internal hard drives, Windows Central noted.

Tom’s Hardware also noted that Microsoft announced this availability not long after the game Forspoken by Luminous Productions was confirmed to have built-in DirectStorage support.

Currently, compatibility details are minimal, but it is known that DirectStorage API functions with PCIe 3.0, though PCIe 4.0 is favorable. Similarly, DirectStorage API is compatible with both Windows 10 and Windows 11, but the newer operating system is preferable.

A flow chart of GPU assets for Microsoft DirectStorage API. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Although Microsoft has officially announced its DirectStorage API, the company plans to showcase the feature further at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) on March 22. Those interested in learning more about DirectStorage can find information on Microsoft’s website.

DirectStorage has the potential to unlock available performance on storage options released as far back as 2009, Tom’s Hardware noted. PC compatibility was intended only for Windows 11; however, Microsoft was able to make further optimizations to expand its reach back to the prior Windows 10 operating system as well.

Microsoft also noted that one aspect that remains missing from the technology is GPU decompression, which would allow for better data transfer between the different components, including storage, operating memory, the CPU, and GPU. This update is expected to be coming next in the brand’s road map, but there is no specific date for when the tweak will be available.

Topics

Computing Writer

Fionna Agomuoh is a technology journalist with over a decade of experience writing about various consumer electronics topics…

Computing

It’s time to stop ignoring the CPU in your gaming PC

A hand holding an AMD Ryzen CPU.

There's one thing that will strike fear into the heart of any PC gamer: a CPU bottleneck. It's unimaginable that you wouldn't get the full power of your GPU when playing games, which is often the most expensive component in your rig. And although knowledge of what CPU bottlenecks are and how to avoid them is common, we're in a new era of bottlenecks in 2024.

It's time to reexamine the role your CPU plays in your gaming PC, not only so that you can get the most performance out of your rig but also to understand why the processor has left the gaming conversation over the last few years. It's easy to focus all of your attention on a big graphics card, but ignore your CPU and you'll pay a performance price.
The common knowledge

Computing

The simple reasons your PC games don’t play as well as they should

The HP Omen 40L desktop sitting on a coffee table.

Whether you have the best gaming desktop money can buy or a budget-oriented PC, the whole point of it all is to be able to play your favorite games and make them look nice and run great. Not every gamer cares about visuals, but performance matters, and getting your money's worth out of your PC is important, too.

If a PC performs poorly in games, many of us immediately assume that the hardware is to blame. Sure, that can often be the case, but before you start looking into ways to upgrade your computer, try out these solutions that might solve your problem and let you get back to high-quality gaming.
PC settings
Whether you're dealing with poor performance, such as stuttering and low frames per second (fps), or you're simply unhappy with how your games look, the root of the problem might lie in the settings of your PC -- and as such, it could be an easy fix.

Computing

It’s time to stop settling for a noisy gaming PC

The Hyte Y40 PC case sitting on a table.

I wouldn't blame you if you've learned to live with your loud gaming PC. I certainly have in the past. You spend all the time picking out your parts, putting everything together, and setting up all of your software. Once you're done, it's easy enough to throw on a pair of headphones and drown out the screaming fans in your case while you get sucked into a game. But there is a better way.

With a little bit of planning, a touch of software tweaks, and a sprinkle of know-how, you can make your gaming PC run cooler, quieter, and more efficiently. Although upgrading some hardware can make a difference in how loud your gaming PC is, there are plenty of things you can do right now, for free, that will transform your setup.
An airflow primer