Microsoft’s DirectStorage tool measures your SSD for next-gen game readiness

pcinvasion.com:

One of the big advancements with the latest generation of game consoles has to do with storage speed.  While PC gamers have enjoyed the benefits of SSDs for many years now, the previous-gen console did hold things back. Now that consoles fully support PCIe 4.0 SSDs, developers can build games to take full advantage of the speed SSDs have to offer. Microsoft’s DirectStorage technology will help with this, and it’s built directly into Windows 11’s coding.

Microsoft pitches DirectStorage as a main feature for PC gamers that use the new OS. As such, Microsoft released a new compatibility tool that will tell users whether their machine is ready to properly handle what DirectStorage requires.

This new tool can be found in the Microsoft Game Bar, which was first introduced as a system-level feature in Windows 10. Activated by pressing Win + G, the tool allows for things such as monitoring system resources (CPU/GPU usage, framerate, etc.), taking screenshots/recording gameplay clips, among several other things (like controlling Spotify).

That’s presumably why Microsoft decided to lump the DirectStorage tool into Game Bar. For now, as PCGamer discovered, this is accessible to those who have Preview Builds of Game Bar, as Microsoft prepares to roll it out to the general public.

Those who would like to tinker with this Windows Insider feature can do so without much fuss, as Microsoft allows anyone with a Microsoft Account to register for the program.

In layman’s terms, DirectStorage is a new API from Microsoft that essentially allows the data transfer between your SSD and the game pulling data from it to function like a super highway. The goal is to boost loading times and free up system resources to keep the experience as smooth