Microsoft will release DirectStorage 1.1 with GPU decompression at the end of this year

Microsoft plans to release DirectStorage 1.1 by the end of this year. From then on, developers can implement the technology in their games. With DirectStorage 1.1, the GPU can perform asset decompression, which should reduce loading times in games.

DirectStorage is a Microsoft technique that should speed up decompression in games. Games contain compressed files, such as objects, characters and environments. When the game needs those files, they are extracted through the CPU. With DirectStorage 1.1 these files can also be extracted by the gpu, explains Microsoft.

The advantage is that GPUs are “extremely efficient at running repeatable tasks in parallel,” the company writes. That, combined with a fast NVMe drive, allows computers to extract files faster. As a result, games should load faster. The other advantage is that the CPU can be used for other tasks. Microsoft has developed its own example where a scene is executed almost three times faster than with CPU decompression.

Although Microsoft will release DirectStorage 1.1 this year, it will take a while before the technology can also be used in games. Nvidia and AMD must first implement the technology in their own GPU drivers, in addition, the game developer must also support the function. Microsoft says DirectStorage 1.1 works best under Windows 11 and with an NVMe SSD. The latter is necessary because of the greater bandwidth of this disk.

Microsoft released the first version of DirectStorage in March. This storage API enables faster load times by better handling higher I/O requests in combination with NVMe storage. AMD previously released Smart Access Storage, which also allows decompression on the GPU.

Microsoft’s example of how DirectStorage 1.1 makes games load faster. GPU decompression on the left, CPU decompression on the right.