Microsoft to bring Xbox software to PCs, claims to decrease load time

Microsoft said it will soon bring its Xbox feature to the Windows PC platform, which the IT company claims is expected to decrease loading time of virtually intensive games and increase the gaming performance.  

It was back in September 2020 that Microsoft showcased the DirectStorage Application programming interface on its new Xbox Series X gaming device.   

This feature is now finally coming to Microsoft games, with the company announcing that the release of the software development kit for DirectStorage would be available to users.   

“Starting today, Windows games can ship with DirectStorage. This public SDK release begins a new era of fast load times and detailed worlds in PC games by allowing developers to more fully utilize the speed of the latest storage devices,” Microsoft said in a blog post.   

The IT firm has been working towards bringing the DirectStorage architecture to Windows PCs and was collecting feedback from companies since July 2021 through a developer preview. .   

On March 22, Microsoft plans to present an introduction to DirectStorage at the Game Developer’s conference in San Francisco, California.   

The new API will be compatible with Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices.  

The release, Microsoft said, will provide developers with tools to move to a new model of easy to play casual games for Windows.   

“GPU decompression is next on our roadmap, a feature that will give developers more control over resources and how hardware is leveraged. Additionally, we will continue optimizing, integrating feedback, and improving on the existing runtime implementation,” it added. 

The first game to feature DirectStorage will be one developed by AMD and Luminous Productions called Forspoken, which is expected to hit stores on October 11 this year.