宣布两年多之后，微软终于把DirectStorage API带到了PC平台(此前用于Xbox X/S游戏机)，但却是个不完全体。
简单地说，DirectStorage是一项存储子系统加速技术，可以让GPU计算着色器直接访问NVMe SSD，直接处理游戏资源的解压缩，而不再需要绕过CPU，从而大大提升游戏加载速度、降低延迟，同时也能节省CPU资源。
More than two years after the announcement, Microsoft finally brought the DirectStorage API to the PC platform (previously used for Xbox X/S consoles), but it was an incomplete body.
Simply put, DirectStorage is a storage subsystem acceleration technology that allows the GPU computing shader to directly access the NVMe SSD and directly handle the decompression of game resources without the need to bypass the CPU, thereby greatly improving game loading speed, reducing latency, and saving CPU resources.
Technical principles
NVIDIA RTX 30 series graphics card RTX IO technology, in fact, is born out of the DirectStorage API (similar to NVIDIA RT light tracking and Microsoft DXR API), equivalent to the technology on the N card implementation of a way, the official claim input / output performance is the traditional hard disk storage up to 100 times, CPU occupancy can be reduced by 20 times
The DirectStorage API system supports Windows 10/11, and of course Microsoft recommends Windows 11 because of its built-in storage optimization mechanism.
On the hardware, the previous requirement of SSD was that it must support NVMe and support PCIe 3.0 or PCIe 4.0, but now it is not mandatory to require NVMe, not only M.2/PCIe SSD can be used, but even support SATA SSD.
DX12 support is required on the graphics card, and the latest DX12 Ultimate is recommended, including the NVIDIA RTX 30 Series and the AMD RX 6000 Series.
However, at present, DirectStorage does not support GPU acceleration on the PC, the effect will be greatly reduced, Microsoft just promised that GPU acceleration is on the roadmap, the next step will be achieved.
As for when to support GPU acceleration, Microsoft does not have a clear timetable, wait a minute. DirectStorage originally said it would land on PC last year...
技术原理
NVIDIA RTX 30系列显卡的RTX IO技术，其实就是脱胎于DirectStorage API(类似NVIDIA RT光追与微软DXR API)，相当于该技术在N卡上的一种实现方式，官方宣称输入/输出性能是传统硬盘存储的最高达100倍，CPU占用率则可以降低20倍
DirectStorage API系统支持Windows 10/11，当然微软推荐Windows 11，因为其内置存储优化机制。
硬件上，SSD此前的要求是必须支持NVMe，并支持PCIe 3.0或者PCIe 4.0，但是现在不强制要求NVMe，不仅仅是M.2/PCIe SSD可以用，甚至支持SATA SSD。
显卡上需要支持DX12，推荐最新的DX12 Ultimate，包括NVIDIA RTX 30系列、AMD RX 6000系列。
不过目前，DirectStorage在PC上还不支持GPU加速，效果会大打折扣，微软只是承诺GPU加速就在路线图上，下一步就会实现。
至于具体什么时候才支持GPU加速，微软没有明确的时间表，慢慢等吧。DirectStorage可是最初说去年就会登陆PC的……
