How to turn on and off Direct Storage Windows 11/10

Do you know how to turn on and off Direct Storage Windows 11/10? The DirectStorage feature was initially developed for Xbox X/S, but on March 14, 2022, Microsoft made it available for use in Windows gaming PC. On November 7th, 2022 and April 18th, 2023, Microsoft has released two updated versions of DirectStorage, namely DirectStorage 1.1 and DirectStorage 1.2. These versions were released by Microsoft.

Application Programming Interface (API) is a type of software that enhances the performance of a game by significantly reducing the amount of time it takes for game assets to load. On the other hand, this course of action is not supported by any and all games or systems. Microsoft has been filling the dreams of performance enthusiasts for a considerable amount of time now by announcing the imminent arrival of DirectStorage, an application programming interface (API) that originates from the Xbox Series world.

By creating a direct transfer between the solid-state drive (SSD) and the graphics processing unit (GPU), the DirectStorage application programming interface (API) helps to reduce the amount of time it takes for games to load. In this article, we will examine what DirectStorage is in greater detail below, as well as how to turn on and off Direct Storage Windows 11/10.

What is Direct Storage?

Through the elimination of data streaming overhead, DirectStorage, which is a low-level storage API (Application programming interface) developed by Microsoft, helps to reduce the amount of time it takes for games to load and that textures pop in. It enables loading times that are extremely quick and almost instantaneous. In a nutshell, DirectStorage allows the graphics processing unit (GPU) to receive game data more quickly without having to take any unnecessary routes.

DirectStorage now makes it possible to display the range quality of the game world better, rendering textures faster, and thereby improving speed and performance. This is a significant improvement for gamers, as it eliminates the delays that occur while graphics and textures are being loaded. Even if you are unable to move past the loading screen while playing a game, DirectStorage will shorten the amount of time it takes for the game to load.

How to turn on and off Direct Storage Windows 11/10

Turn On Direct Storage

1. Open the Windows Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Select Storage from the left sidebar.
4. Scroll down and click on Advanced storage settings.
5. Toggle the switch to turn on DirectStorage.

Turn Off Direct Storage

1. Open the Windows Settings.
2. Click on System.
3. Select Storage from the left sidebar.
4. Scroll down and click on Advanced storage settings.
5. Toggle the switch to turn off DirectStorage.

Understanding the Benefits of Direct Storage

1. Speedier Loading: DirectStorage greatly shortens the time it takes for games to load by letting them load assets directly from the NVMe SSD to the GPU, bypassing the CPU. This lowers latency and boosts overall performance.
2. Less work for the CPU: DirectStorage makes the CPU’s job easier by giving storage-related tasks to the GPU. This lets the CPU focus on other important tasks, which makes better use of the system’s resources.
3. Better Streaming of the Game World: DirectStorage makes it easy for games to send large amounts of data from the storage device to the GPU. This is especially helpful for open-world games or games with big worlds, making transitions smoother and the gaming experience more immersive.
4. Better graphics and visuals: Games can use high-quality textures and assets more effectively when they can access data more quickly. This can lead to better graphics, textures with higher resolution, and overall better visual fidelity in games.
5. Support for Fast NVMe SSDs: DirectStorage is made to make the most of modern NVMe SSDs, which can transfer data quickly. This means that people who have the most up-to-date storage technology can fully enjoy the benefits of faster game loading and smoother gameplay.
6. Quick Resume for Multiple Games: DirectStorage supports quick resume, which lets users quickly switch between games without having to wait for them to load. This feature makes the overall gaming experience better and makes things easier for people who like to play a lot of different games.

System Requirements for Direct Storage

Conclusion

In this context, we are discussing gaming, and the gaming industry has changed significantly over the past decade. When gaming was simpler in the past, there were fewer characters, fewer levels, and fewer environments. All of these factors contributed to lower stress levels on the resources of the personal computer, such as the rate of memory (RAM). Shortly after, solid-state drives (SSDs) became available, and because they could read data ten times faster than a conventional hard disc drive (HDD), gaming performance also improved.

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