DirectStorage currently does not support GPU decompression

Luminous Productions confirms the current version of DirectStorage does not support GPU decompression and still uses the CPU.

Published Mar 24, 2022 6:05 PM CDT   |   Updated Wed, Apr 20 2022 4:53 PM CDT
1 minute & 19 seconds read time

Microsoft's new DirectStorage API isn't living up to its full potential just yet, but a future version could help supercharge data streaming and loading speeds on M.2 drives.

DirectStorage currently does not support GPU decompression 7443

DirectStorage aims to revolutionize data throughput on consoles and PC. The basic gist of the tech is to help streamline how game data is decompressed and loaded from SSDs storage into hardware like graphics cards.

The API's end goal is to stream data from an SSD directly to a GPU's VRAM memory pool for decompression and allow GPU data to completely bypass the CPU. This would theoretically result in a significant IO performance boost that would lead to benefits like faster in-game loading times.

The DX12 API isn't there yet. According to Luminous Productions, the developers of the new game Forspoken, Microsoft's DirectStorage API still uses the CPU for decompression. "Because the current version of DirectStorage does not support GPU decompression, GPU data is decompressed on the CPU. This implementation, however, still outperforms existing Win32 APIs."

DirectStorage currently does not support GPU decompression 51

The finalized version of DirectStorage will enable GPU-level decompression and bypass the CPU.

DirectStorage currently does not support GPU decompression 52

The current version of DirectStorage still uses the CPU for decompression.

Despite still using the CPU for decompression, Luminous was able to reduce game loading times to the one-second mark in Forspoken. This could mean DirectStorage will unlock even greater loading times performance in the future when it unlocks GPU decompression.

Read Also: DirectStorage uses new algorithm to unlock max IO with desktop GPUs

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NEWS SOURCE:gpuopen.com

Derek joined the TweakTown team in 2015 and has since reviewed and played 1000s of hours of new games. Derek is absorbed with the intersection of technology and gaming, and is always looking forward to new advancements. With over six years in games journalism under his belt, Derek aims to further engage the gaming sector while taking a peek under the tech that powers it. He hopes to one day explore the stars in No Man's Sky with the magic of VR.

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