GPU decompression is strictly what it feels like: utilizing the GPU to decompress property relatively than doing it on the CPU. Traditionally, offloading issues from the CPU was finished for the aim of liberating up CPU time for different duties, however with the appearance of many-core CPUs, that is much less of a priority now. As a substitute, the principle objective of GPU decompression is solely to carry out mentioned decompression a lot sooner.
Microsoft’s created an artificial demo for the expertise that cuts loading time of a easy scene with rotating avocados from 2.36 seconds to 0.8 seconds. That is an incredible enchancment, however as Microsoft itself admits, this pattern scene is highly-optimized and will not essentially symbolize real-world good points. The precise determine that Microsoft presents is round 40% enchancment in load occasions for video games.
Load occasions in trendy video games operating from an SSD are already fairly quick, so we’re not precisely streaming joyful tears over this announcement, however decreased load time is all the time a great factor. Microsoft in fact says that DirectStorage 1.1 will work greatest on Home windows 11 as a consequence of “further optimizations within the I/O stack,” however it will likely be obtainable on Home windows 10, as nicely.
After all, you may want an NVMe SSD to see the most important profit, in addition to a GPU that helps Shader Mannequin 6.0. That description consists of most GPUs with Direct3D {hardware} function degree 12_0, going again to AMD’s GCN 2 (Radeon R9 290) and NVIDIA’s Maxwell (GeForce 900 sequence), though do not take our phrase as gospel on which GPUs will truly work with DirectStorage 1.1 as a result of it would depend upon driver updates from the producers. You need to use the Xbox Insider Hub app to examine in case your machine is prepared.
Microsoft sadly declined to provide a date for DirectStorage 1.1’s launch, saying solely that it might have it out by the top of 2022. Likewise, no phrase on any future titles which are scheduled to ship with DirectStorage assist. Hopefully builders get on the ball with the brand new tech before later.
