Microsoft has released DirectStorage 1.1, which will make your PC games run much faster

This week Microsoft is releasing a new version of its DirectStorage technology and the biggest new addition is GPU decompression for Windows PC games. It is the next round of industry development to improve the speed of launching games.

Here's What We Know

GPU decompression shifts the work required to decompress assets in games to the graphics card rather than the CPU. Currently, game assets are usually compressed when they are packaged for distribution and then decompressed once the game starts.

"Normally, the decompression work is done by the CPU because compression formats have historically been optimized only for it," explains Cassie Hoef, senior program manager at Microsoft. "We are providing an alternative method in DirectStorage 1.1 by moving the decompression of these resources to the GPU - known as GPU decompression."

In order for the technology to work in a game, developers will need to embed it themselves. The improvements could even lead to big changes in games where you move from one world to another or teleport between different parts of a map or world. Microsoft claims it could be up to three times faster, freeing up CPU to handle other gameplay.

Source: The Verge