The first game with direct storage support is expected to launch in 2025.
The first game with direct storage support is expected to launch in 2025.
I put in a brand-new NVMe card yesterday on my laptop and it performs exceptionally well. I was thrilled to hear there are updates about Windows 11 adding direct storage support soon. When should the first games that use this feature be released? Are there any indications it’s coming?
The system doesn't meet the requirements for SLI/CF setups with pooled VRAM, and only a single game or benchmark is suitable. You won't see much progress.
However, this functionality is already present in Series X/S titles and a very comparable API for PS5 games. It also has practical applications such as significantly reducing load times. Previously, implementing similar features was extremely challenging and uncommon; with modern hardware like Gen 3 and newer PCIe SSDs, development should be much faster.
I’d examine existing console titles to gauge their potential for porting to PC. I believe console versions are likely to be early adopters, especially for games handling heavy data loads or real-time streaming (such as Cyberpunk, Witcher, or GTA). Large open-world experiences seem most promising. I’d estimate it could take a year or more before similar titles leverage this technology. There’s a clear distinction between SLI/CF and Direct Storage—most users with Windows 11, a new GPU, and NVMe support will be able to access it, and the user base for this setup is expected to expand significantly.
Concerning sli/cf I’m puzzled about why it isn’t configured to simply boost performance uniformly. I understand that alongside direct storage, the latest DirectX versions aim to utilize asynchronous GPU compute more effectively. It would be helpful if you could combine all your current and older GPUs into a single system and see how much additional power can be harnessed for gaming in various ways. Does the growing popularity of compact form factor PCs actually support this approach?
Even with SLI/CF functioning flawlessly, you won't see a complete performance boost. Some extra processing is required because GPUs must exchange data, such as sending image information to the attached monitor. Based on the mode (afr/sfr), they also have to coordinate with each other, which can slow things down and cause problems like minor stuttering. DirectX generally handles this, but it must be set up individually for each game or engine. If only a few users take advantage of this feature, it may not justify the cost and you should focus on other improvements that attract more buyers. Pairing two GPUs with very different speeds would be tough to manage properly. You might imagine one GPU handling 90% of rendering while the other only manages 10%, and speed differences could change with every frame. The need for constant synchronization between them would quickly negate any gains. Also, compatibility issues arise when mixing GPUs from different generations, as some features won't work together. If you combine a ray-tracing capable GPU with one that doesn’t, the result might be uneven quality—some parts of the image could lack the effect while others have it. You could repurpose older GPUs for non-graphics tasks, but the newer ones are likely better suited to handle rendering alone without extra complications.