How to Enable Direct Storage in Windows 10
Enable Direct Storage Windows 10, a feature originally developed for Xbox consoles, slashes load times by handling compressed data directly on the GPU, instead of waiting for the CPU to decompress it. As a result, games load faster and run smoother.
To use Direct Storage, your PC needs to have an NVMe SSD and a graphics card that supports DirectX 12 Ultimate. To see if your hardware is compatible, launch the Xbox Game Bar and click the gear icon.
Enabling DirectStorage on Windows 10 involves a series of steps to ensure your system meets the requirements and to activate the feature.
1. Check System Requirements:
Before enabling DirectStorage, ensure your system meets the necessary requirements. DirectStorage requires Windows 10 version 1909 or later and a compatible NVMe SSD. Make sure your GPU and other components are up to date as well.
2. Update Windows: Ensure that your Windows 10 operating system is fully updated. Microsoft periodically releases updates that include new features, improvements, and bug fixes. To check for updates, go to “Settings” > “Update & Security” > “Windows Update” and click on “Check for updates.”
3. Check GPU Compatibility: DirectStorage requires a compatible GPU that supports DirectX 12 Ultimate. Verify that your graphics card meets this requirement, and if necessary, update your GPU drivers to the latest version. You can download the latest drivers from the official website of your GPU manufacturer (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel).
4. Verify NVMe SSD Compatibility: DirectStorage is designed to work with NVMe SSDs to leverage their high-speed data transfer capabilities. Ensure that your storage drive is an NVMe SSD, as this technology will significantly enhance game loading times and overall system responsiveness.
5. Enable TPM (Trusted Platform Module) and Secure Boot: DirectStorage may require TPM and Secure Boot for enhanced security. To check if TPM is enabled, press “Win + R” to open the Run dialog, type “tpm.msc,” and press Enter. If TPM is not enabled, consult your motherboard’s manual to enable it in the BIOS/UEFI settings. Similarly, check if Secure Boot is enabled in the BIOS/UEFI settings.
6. Download and Install DirectX 12 Ultimate:
Direct Storage is closely associated with DirectX 12 Ultimate. Make sure you have the latest version installed on your system.
7. Install Windows 10 SDK (Software Development Kit): DirectStorage is part of the Windows 10 SDK. Download and install the latest version of the Windows 10 SDK from the official Microsoft website. This SDK provides the necessary tools and libraries for developers to optimize their games for DirectStorage.
8. Check for DirectStorage Support in Games: DirectStorage needs to be supported by individual games to take advantage of its benefits. Check the game’s official website or Steam page for information on DirectStorage integration.
9. Enable Direct Storage in Windows Settings: Once you have ensured that your system meets all the prerequisites, you can enable Direct Storage in the Windows settings. Open “Settings” > “System” > “Storage,” and under the “Advanced storage settings,” toggle on the “Enable Direct Storage for supported games” option.
10. Test Direct Storage Performance:
After enabling Direct Storage, test its performance with games that support the feature. You should notice faster loading times and improved game responsiveness. If you encounter any issues, ensure that your GPU drivers, game updates, and Windows updates are all up to date.
11. Troubleshooting: If you experience any problems, such as crashes or performance issues, double-check that all your system components, including GPU, drivers, and storage, meet the necessary requirements. You can also check the official Microsoft support forums for any reported issues or solutions.
12. Keep System Updated: Microsoft may release updates to improve DirectStorage functionality or address any issues that arise. Make it a habit to keep your system, GPU drivers, and games updated regularly to benefit from the latest features and optimizations.
By following these steps, you should be able to enable Direct Storage on your Windows 10 system and enjoy faster loading times and improved gaming performance. Keep in mind that Direct Storage support is dependent on game developers, so not all games may immediately take advantage of this technology.
Hardware Requirements
Modern PC games have become more complex, requiring 10s of gigabytes of data to show all the character models, landscapes and textures. The Direct Storage APIs remove many of these overheads by leveraging the hardware to closely interact with the NVMe subsystem to provide higher throughput.
To take advantage of the Direct Storage APIs, your hardware must have a NVMe SSD with a minimum interface speed of PCIe 3.0 and a GPU that supports DirectX 12. The system also needs to be running Windows 11 or later, and the game developer must implement the feature in the game itself.
With this, Direct Storage can take advantage of NVMe SSDs with GB/s performance to accelerate load times and enable detailed virtual worlds in a fraction of the time of older gaming APIs, which only perform at MB/s speeds. This results in improved framerates and lower load times, which makes for a smoother experience.
To check whether your hardware meets the requirements, you can use the Game Bar in the operating system to display information about your gaming hardware and software. You can also check the system configuration by using the command line command msinfo.
Enabling Direct Storage
Direct Storage is a new gaming technology that promises to improve loading times in games. Unlike previous APIs, which required game developers to manage separate buffers for compressed and decompressed data, the new API allows the hardware to read directly from the disk and transfer it in-place. This significantly reduces CPU overhead and makes the overall game experience faster. Moreover, the Direct Storage API also enables the hardware to decompress data faster and with less memory.
However, to fully benefit from the technology, you need a modern PC with an NVMe SSD and a graphics card that supports DirectX 12 Ultimate.
To check whether your system is compatible with Direct Storage, press Win+G to open the Xbox Game Bar in Windows 11. This will show you a list of features that your computer supports. Select the “DirectX 12 Ultimate” icon and click on “Get started”. If you see a message saying that your system doesn’t support Direct Storage, it means that you need to upgrade your hardware to be able to use it. In addition, you need a NVMe SSD with a minimum of a PCIe 3.0 interface and a graphic card that supports DirectX 12. If your hardware meets these requirements, you can start enjoying the benefits of this amazing gaming technology.
Using Direct Storage
Direct Storage allows NVMe SSDs to send data directly to a graphics card, bypassing the CPU. This can significantly reduce loading times and the mapping of textures, which in turn can lead to better graphics performance and a more immersive gaming experience.
To use Direct Storage, you need a system that supports it. This includes an NVMe SSD and a graphics card that supports DirectX 12 Ultimate. You can check whether your system is compatible with this feature by running the Xbox Game Bar and looking for “DirectX 12 Ultimate ready” and “Direct Storage supported”.
Using Direct Storage can reduce load times and eliminate texture pop-in, which occurs when an object appears out of nowhere as you approach it. It can also increase framerates and reduce the amount of data needed to render each frame.
Direct Storage uses a queue that processes read requests asynchronously to achieve high throughput. When a request is completed, the title is notified in FIFO order. This allows the hardware to deliver more performance than is possible with Win32, which uses either polling an OVERLAPPED structure or synchronous blocking reads.
Troubleshooting
Direct Storage is a feature that improves performance in games by bypassing the operating system and retrieving data directly from storage devices. This can dramatically speed up loading times and improve gaming performance.
To use the Direct Storage feature, your PC needs to have an NVMe SSD and a graphics card that supports DirectX 12. It’s also important to keep Windows updated. Using the Game Bar, you can check whether your PC meets the requirements.
