At GDC 2023, AMD will hold a session in which it will talk about DirectStorage and how to integrate it to extract optimal load time and streaming performance. Moreover, the red team will present a DirectStorage demo during that presentation.
What’s really interesting here is that AMD claims that DirectStorage will require a new API. AMD will also talk about the changes required to code and asset pipelines, best practices, and pitfalls to avoid.
Now I don’t expect developers to take advantage DirectStorage anytime soon. After all, there is only one game that currently uses DirectStorage, and that is Forspoken.
But anyway, below is the description of AMD’s DirectStorage GDC 2023 session.
“The era of rotational storage technology in gaming systems is winding down, and a golden age of extremely fast storage technologies is heating up. PCs with fast storage technology have been mainstream for a while, but most players don’t experience the expected performance benefits the hardware provides.
Join us for a presentation about DirectStorage and how to integrate it to extract optimal load time and streaming performance. We will discuss why a new API is needed, changes required to code and asset pipelines, best practices, and pitfalls to avoid.
A demonstration designed to highlight the load time, streaming performance, frame rate and player experience difference between DirectStorage and standard asset loading will be presented.”
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Wow! Looking forward to it.
Can you post the source please?
There’s a developer update video on their YouTube channel, or the article breaking it down on PCGaymer.
Re-read the description again.. they’re not saying that DirectStorage requires a new API… they’re saying it IS the new API.
“Join us for a presentation about DirectStorage and how to integrate it to extract optimal load time and streaming performance. We will discuss why a new API is needed, changes required to code and asset pipelines, best practices, and pitfalls to avoid.”
How much faster can it possibly be in real terms when using an SSD? SSD already load games really fast, sometimes too fast.
Nope, the gaming engines are not optimized to use SSD/NVME. When it comes to gaming, games do not utilize the technology of these drives. If they did, the games would have no load times.
Yeah Sony leverages some of this already I think in their own titles. I have a SSD similar to the PS5 speed and my Hogwarts saved game load is the same 5.x seconds as a PS5. On Miles Morales though the PS5 is like 2.5 seconds and my PC is like 9.x
So the loading time improvements should be pretty significant and when Triple A game engines can leverage it, it should be pretty nice.
When has an SSD ever loaded a game “too fast”?
https://youtube.com/watch?v=0eHWwI2m_ZQ&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE
This is the only example I know off the top of my head.
But I do see your point. I’m just saying i doubt it’s going to be a significant change. And maybe I’m wrong in which case great
gonna be very curious about this presentation. i got all the hardware necessary so im ready to see this in more games eventually.
“…and streaming performance.” That’s the part I’m most interested in. Load times are nice but if they can improve these asset stutters plaguing games I will be happy.
I’m currently using a quad card with 4 2TB nvmes in RAID 0, I would much love for them to get this tech going. I could benefit very well from this. It feels good to have all my library installed and organized.
Considering DirectStorage is an offshoot of the Xbox One X storage subsystem, I think your prediction is flawed.