• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Forspoken Will Be The First Game To Use Microsoft's Direct Storage API

Weird, a product needs to be written to "support" DirectStorage? I thought this was like a new drive system file format or something like that. (Would have been a nightmare for anybody to update if that was the case, so I guess it's good it's not...)

Will be interesting to see what difference this makes for how the game runs, hopefully it's a clear positive.
 
CamHostage said:
Weird, a product needs to be written to "support" DirectStorage? I thought this was like a new drive system file format or something like that. (Would have been a nightmare for anybody to update if that was the case, so I guess it's good it's not...)

Will be interesting to see what difference this makes for how the game runs, hopefully it's a clear positive.
Click to expand...
Probably uses new api. Don't want to break legacy programs.
 
CamHostage said:
Weird, a product needs to be written to "support" DirectStorage? I thought this was like a new drive system file format or something like that. (Would have been a nightmare for anybody to update if that was the case, so I guess it's good it's not...)

Will be interesting to see what difference this makes for how the game runs, hopefully it's a clear positive.
Click to expand...
Everything has to be "written" for. Computers are dumb as dirt and only do exactly what they are told to do.

It's hard to properly state just the amount of the work this ends up entailing in programming.

So yeah, direct software support has to be built for this feature. Same as anything else really.
 
ckaneo said:
What is this and how does it improve games?
Click to expand...
It's a re-write of the way storage devices are interacted with on Microsoft platforms. The current methods were written decades ago, before things like SSDs and NVMEs. The improvements will be, essentially, decreased loading times. There's more to it than that, but that's the short version. This means either no loading screens or much shorter, and much improved asset streaming. What we've seen to date on the X|S is just the speed of the internal SSD. We haven't seen this new API in action.
 

DirectStorage API Now Available on PC


Starting today, Windows games can ship with DirectStorage. This public SDK release begins a new era of fast load times and detailed worlds in PC games by allowing developers to more fully utilize the speed of the latest storage devices. In September 2020, we announced DirectStorage would be coming to Windows, and after collecting feedback throughout our developer preview, we are making this API available to all of our partners to ship with their games. Check out the announcement blog for an in-depth exploration of the inspiration for DirectStorage and how it will benefit Windows games.

Getting Started – Developers

For all the necessary resources to get started, please check out aka.ms/directstorage. This includes the NuGet repository with the redistributable package, the GitHub repo with samples and documentation, as well as links to PIX for Windows.

PIX on Windows will support DirectStorage Day 1 – check out the PIX blog post for more details!

We will be presenting an introduction to DirectStorage at GDC– along with some tips and tricks to get started– on March 22. If you're unable to watch it live, check back here for a link to the on-demand video of the session after the 22. We also recommend that you check out the GDC talk presented by Luminous about their integration of DirectStorage in Forspoken.

Questions on development? Have an implementation you want feedback on? Reach out to askwindstorage@microsoft.com.

Looking for community engagement? Check out the DX12 Discord Server.

[h4][/h4]

Getting Started – Gamers

If you want to get your PC ready to take advantage of DirectStorage games, we have a few suggestions. DirectStorage is compatible with Windows 10 devices, but Windows 11 has the latest storage optimizations built in and is our recommended path for gaming. While you may see benefits on any kind of storage device, installing games to an NVMe SSD will maximize your IO performance and help you more fully experience the benefits of DirectStorage. Stay tuned to learn about games that will be shipping with DirectStorage in the future!

[h4][/h4]

What's Next?

This release of DirectStorage provides developers everything they need to move to a new model of IO for their games, and we're working on even more ways to offload work from the CPU. GPU decompression is next on our roadmap, a feature that will give developers more control over resources and how hardware is leveraged. Additionally, we will continue optimizing, integrating feedback, and improving on the existing runtime implementation. Follow us on Twitter or join our Discord channel to get the latest news on DirectStorage features and improvements.
Click to expand...

Now, all that's missing are the games....
 
ZehDon said:
It's a re-write of the way storage devices are interacted with on Microsoft platforms. The current methods were written decades ago, before things like SSDs and NVMEs. The improvements will be, essentially, decreased loading times. There's more to it than that, but that's the short version. This means either no loading screens or much shorter, and much improved asset streaming. What we've seen to date on the X|S is just the speed of the internal SSD. We haven't seen this new API in action.
Click to expand...
Sounds cool enough I guess.
 
Faithless83 said:
Isn't this the same thing PS5 already does, but with driver translation between the ram > vram layer?
Click to expand...

This is software based. As you have to write your game code to have this new work flow in how direct x 12 api's instructions in using the NVme/ssd as memory in a sense to load directly to VRAM.

Right now games load temporarily in system ram as the assets/data is put into vram. Take more time. Now instead of using your system ram with cpu doing all the work in grabbing data/uncompressing it now will use your gpu yo do some of this work load making culling faster.

PS5 is pretty much all hardware based in its I/o solution. Which is why there are more games with fast loads, abd more games in general that have insane asset density because they are being streamed in via the super fast I/O.
 
Mister Wolf said:
Click to expand...

Has nothing to do with Direct Storage, but someone please save this man's back :messenger_tears_of_joy: Nadella send my dude a Herman Miller, Steelcase, something better.

OT: It'll be very interesting to see what gains this will make to asset streaming, but lets be honest... it'll be load times that get all the headlines.
 
itsjustJEFF said:
Has nothing to do with Direct Storage, but someone please save this man's back :messenger_tears_of_joy: Nadella send my dude a Herman Miller, Steelcase, something better.

OT: It'll be very interesting to see what gains this will make to asset streaming, but lets be honest... it'll be load times that get all the headlines.
Click to expand...

Yeah he needs a better chair.
 
Last edited:
38447cc6-a75f-58c4-83b7-0aecdca58541



Tried the demo from github, now with DirectStorage enabled.
Not bad. 2.3GB/s read on P5 ssd
 
So is there no game between now and Forespoken's new release date that also utilizes this ?
 
Direct storage from DirectX Dev Blog

Starting today, Windows games can ship with DirectStorage. This public SDK release begins a new era of fast load times and detailed worlds in PC games by allowing developers to more fully utilize the speed of the latest storage devices.

Getting Started – Gamers

If you want to get your PC ready to take advantage of DirectStorage games, we have a few suggestions. DirectStorage is compatible with Windows 10 devices, but Windows 11 has the latest storage optimizations built in and is our recommended path for gaming. While you may see benefits on any kind of storage device, installing games to an NVMe SSD will maximize your IO performance and help you more fully experience the benefits of DirectStorage. Stay tuned to learn about games that will be shipping with DirectStorage in the future!

What's Next?

This release of DirectStorage provides developers everything they need to move to a new model of IO for their games, and we're working on even more ways to offload work from the CPU. GPU decompression is next on our roadmap, a feature that will give developers more control over resources and how hardware is leveraged.
 
zeorhymer said:
Direct storage from DirectX Dev Blog

Starting today, Windows games can ship with DirectStorage. This public SDK release begins a new era of fast load times and detailed worlds in PC games by allowing developers to more fully utilize the speed of the latest storage devices.

Getting Started – Gamers

If you want to get your PC ready to take advantage of DirectStorage games, we have a few suggestions. DirectStorage is compatible with Windows 10 devices, but Windows 11 has the latest storage optimizations built in and is our recommended path for gaming. While you may see benefits on any kind of storage device, installing games to an NVMe SSD will maximize your IO performance and help you more fully experience the benefits of DirectStorage. Stay tuned to learn about games that will be shipping with DirectStorage in the future!

What's Next?

This release of DirectStorage provides developers everything they need to move to a new model of IO for their games, and we're working on even more ways to offload work from the CPU. GPU decompression is next on our roadmap, a feature that will give developers more control over resources and how hardware is leveraged.
Click to expand...

Most welcome news.
 
adamsapple said:
So is there no game between now and Forespoken's new release date that also utilizes this ?
Click to expand...

Not necessarily, they're just the first developer so far to have been mentioned publicly in regards to DirectStorage for a project launching in the near future.

Square Enix has a GDC talk next week where they will speak about integrating new technologies into Forspoken, and as part of that, they will be talking about this new IO API. "Forspoken is also supporting the new Microsoft DirectStorage API. A part of the session will be dedicated to its addition to the game highlighting the challenges the studio faced and the benefits it is bringing to the title." So far, no other game developer has mentioned DirectStorage plans or processes.

There's no known exclusivity to Square Enix's use of DirectStorage. (And it doesn't make much sense that there would be an "exclusive" launch game for an API, though tech companies do use weird opportunities to promote stuff.) Timing is just lining up, for them to speak about using it as well as to have a product coming up soon that uses it. (Original release plan was May before it was delayed to Oct.) They are a big company and have had this project in the works since before next-gen was even unveiled, so they've probably had contact early on for it and are ahead of the development curve. Meanwhile, DirectStorage system is out and a SDK is available, probably other developers (including MS teams, obviously) have been in the early conversation/testing process, and so maybe Forspoken will still be the first game out using it but it's not a great big "IT'S HERE!!!" launch event for DirectStorage to be a part of Forspoken specifically.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Nintendo Direct will happen in the first week of February - Nate The Hate
2 3
149
2K
IbizaPocholo replied
Do you really anticipate Microsoft will be out of the "console" game?
2 3 4
155
963
Sooner replied
Nintendo will be at the Gamescom 2026
Event Game Dev 
28
186
undeadhero replied
[Insider Gaming] CAPCOM Will Use AI, But Not For Game Content
News Game Dev 
24
426
DarkShadowXI replied
PlayStation as an API and the Ace in the Sleeve
14
449
simpatico replied
Top Bottom