Microsoft DirectStorage is coming to Windows 11 and Windows 10

So much for next-gen requirements.

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What you need to know

Windows 10, version 1909 and up, will be compatible with the DirectStorage API. However, you won’t get the full DirectStorage experience unless you’re on Microsoft’s latest and greatest OS,Windows 11.

Here’s whatMicrosoft’s developer bloghas to say about the API’s features and what you can look forward to with it:

That last bullet point is the key one to note here. While the blog illustrates that users across both operating systems should receive faster load times as a result of playing games “built against the DirectStorage SDK,” Windows 11 users are going to get the most optimized, speediest experience.

It’s not just legacy and modern software that DirectStorage won’t discriminate against, but hardware as well. SSDs and HDDs alike will receive the API without issue. So even if you’re rocking one of thebest internal hard drives, have no fear, you won’t be left out in the cold. The same goes for Windows 10 stalwarts who aren’t quite ready to grab apreview buildand dive into the future of windows.

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Robert Carnevale is the News Editor for Windows Central. He’s a big fan of Kinect (it lives on in his heart), Sonic the Hedgehog, and the legendary intersection of those two titans, Sonic Free Riders. He is the author ofCold War 2395. Have a useful tip? Send it to robert.carnevale@futurenet.com.