Microsoft’s DirectStorage is an exciting technology that promises to improve the gaming experience by allowing titles to load assets directly to a graphics card, allowing for benefits such as significantly decreased loading times. This feature was originally intended to be exclusive to Windows 11 for PC users (the tech is already enabled in Xbox Series X|S consoles), but according to a new article on Microsoft’s DirectX Developer Blog, DirectStorage will also be coming to Windows 10 version 1909 and up. What this means is that gamers might have one less reason to switch to Windows 11 despite Microsoft’s insistence that the latest version of its operating system will be “the best Windows ever for gaming.” Windows 11 is also set to introduce Auto HDR, a cool feature that automatically adds High Dynamic Range (HDR) enhancements to games built on DirectX 11 or higher that were originally developed with SDR in mind.
Microsoft is committed to ensuring that when game developers adopt a new API, they can reach as many gamers as possible. As such, games built against the DirectStorage SDK will be compatible with Windows 10, version 1909 and up; the same as the DirectX 12 Agility SDK.