Starfield and Direct Storage?

[M]

hey folks.

wouldnt it be surprisingly fitting, if starfield would support direct storage? at least its a microsoft supported game somehow and I wouldnt be surprised to see it as an option ingame, because the game needs a SSD anyway.

[HeyYou]

I'm confused. What is 'direct storage'? If you are referring to installing the game on a local drive, isn't that generally how it works? Or is it some other MS service you are referencing?

[BEEP!]

Originally posted by HeyYou:

I'm confused. What is 'direct storage'? If you are referring to installing the game on a local drive, isn't that generally how it works? Or is it some other MS service you are referencing?

How DirectStorage Works

The DirectStorage API shifts data decompression duty from the CPU to the GPU. This is a great idea because most of the compressed video game assets are going to the GPU for rendering anyway.

By bypassing the CPU, those assets are already where they need to be as soon as they're decompressed. There's no need to wait for the relatively slow CPU to finish its decompression work first.

This new way of moving compressed data around removes the CPU as a bottleneck and lets the SSD and GPU both work at their maximum potential.

[M]

Originally posted by 1080puktra:

...

thx for explaining it so well!

[Jacob Locke]

Originally posted by 1080puktra:

Direct Storage

It really is an exciting tech. Anticipating it having a very positive effect on gaming in the years to come.

[HeyYou]

Originally posted by 1080puktra:

Originally posted by HeyYou:

I'm confused. What is 'direct storage'? If you are referring to installing the game on a local drive, isn't that generally how it works? Or is it some other MS service you are referencing?

How DirectStorage Works

The DirectStorage API shifts data decompression duty from the CPU to the GPU. This is a great idea because most of the compressed video game assets are going to the GPU for rendering anyway.

By bypassing the CPU, those assets are already where they need to be as soon as they're decompressed. There's no need to wait for the relatively slow CPU to finish its decompression work first.

This new way of moving compressed data around removes the CPU as a bottleneck and lets the SSD and GPU both work at their maximum potential.

That seems like something that would need to be implemented in the game engine?? Or is it simply a neat windows trick?

[BEEP!]

Originally posted by HeyYou:

Originally posted by 1080puktra:

How DirectStorage Works

The DirectStorage API shifts data decompression duty from the CPU to the GPU. This is a great idea because most of the compressed video game assets are going to the GPU for rendering anyway.

By bypassing the CPU, those assets are already where they need to be as soon as they're decompressed. There's no need to wait for the relatively slow CPU to finish its decompression work first.

This new way of moving compressed data around removes the CPU as a bottleneck and lets the SSD and GPU both work at their maximum potential.

That seems like something that would need to be implemented in the game engine?? Or is it simply a neat windows trick?

It can be used on Window 11 but for game's I think it would need biult into the game to work properly and would require a SSD which is why some people are thinking Starfield min is a SSD it would be awesome to have in Starfield.

[Jacob Locke]

Originally posted by HeyYou:

That seems like something that would need to be implemented in the game engine?? Or is it simply a neat windows trick?

UE5 is reported to support it. Not sure about UE4 or other engines.

[Jacob Locke]

Originally posted by 1080puktra:

It can be used on Window 11 but for game's I think it would need biult into the game to work properly and would require a SSD which is why sone people ate thinking Starfield min is a SSD

I read somewhere that HDD's are now supported by DS but given their speed it won't have nearly the effect it will have on standard SSD and of course NVME drives. Initially they weren't going to bother supporting HDD but apparently someone figured why not? Even a small boost is better than no boost at all I guess.

HDD will definitely be the weak link in the chain though.

[BEEP!]

Originally posted by Jacob Locke:

Originally posted by 1080puktra:

Direct Storage

It really is an exciting tech. Anticipating it having a very positive effect on gaming in the years to come.

Yea I got a SAMSUNG 980 Pro 2TB to prepare for the future.

[BEEP!]

Originally posted by Jacob Locke:

Originally posted by 1080puktra:

It can be used on Window 11 but for game's I think it would need biult into the game to work properly and would require a SSD which is why sone people ate thinking Starfield min is a SSD

I read somewhere that HDD's are now supported by DS but given their speed it won't have nearly the effect it will have on standard SSD and of course NVME drives. Initially they weren't going to bother supporting HDD but apparently someone figured why not? Even a small boost is better than no boost at all I guess.

HDD will definitely be the weak link in the chain though.

Yea even the cheap slow SATA SSDs are better than the more expensive fast HDDs.

[-={LG}=-]

Originally posted by 1080puktra:

This new way of moving compressed data around removes the CPU as a bottleneck and lets the SSD and GPU both work at their maximum potential.

Let me congratulate you on the nice, digestible explanation of a technical subject. Now I know what direct storage is, and it didn't even make me furrow my brows learning.

[Jacob Locke]

Originally posted by 1080puktra:

Originally posted by Jacob Locke:

It really is an exciting tech. Anticipating it having a very positive effect on gaming in the years to come.

Yea I got a SAMSUNG 980 Pro 2TB to prepare for the future.

That's the same drive I'm currently running as C:

Got a great price on it a month or 2 ago.

[Jacob Locke]

Originally posted by 1080puktra:

Originally posted by Jacob Locke:

I read somewhere that HDD's are now supported by DS but given their speed it won't have nearly the effect it will have on standard SSD and of course NVME drives. Initially they weren't going to bother supporting HDD but apparently someone figured why not? Even a small boost is better than no boost at all I guess.

HDD will definitely be the weak link in the chain though.

Yea even the cheap slow SATA SSDs are better than the more expensive fast HDDs.

Yes. Very much so.

[BEEP!]

Originally posted by Jacob Locke:

Originally posted by 1080puktra:

Yea I got a SAMSUNG 980 Pro 2TB to prepare for the future.

That's the same drive I'm currently running as C:

Got a great price on it a month or 2 ago.

I got the 2TB with heatsink for $99 during the Amazon prime day my 860 Evo 1TB was getting full with modding Fallout4 350GB & Skyrim 250GB from wabbajack installer lol so I went big.

[Jacob Locke]

Originally posted by 1080puktra:

Originally posted by Jacob Locke:

That's the same drive I'm currently running as C:

Got a great price on it a month or 2 ago.

I got the 2TB with heatsink for $99 during the Amazon prime day my 860 Evo 1TB was getting full with modding Fallout4 350GB & Skyrim 250GB from wabbajack installer lol so I went big.

Nice. The only Fallout 4 mod I think I ever used was the one that resolves load times being locked to frame rate. Can't live without that one.

I've used wabbajack with Skyrim though, although I bought a lifetime sub to Nexus a long time ago so I usually just pick and choose individual mods. Mods gave that game so much extra life.

Can't wait to see modders let loose on Starfield. It's gonna be a sight to behold! LOL