Holiday 2021 can't come soon enough.
Windows 11 gaming features were today detailed by Microsoft and include the likes of Auto HDR, integrated Xbox Game Pass and faster loading speeds.
As we’ve previously reported, Auto HDR has been in testing in Windows 10 by Windows Insiders, but will be rolled out as a standard feature within Windows 11.
“HDR allows a supported game to render a much wider range of brightness values and colors, giving an extra sense of richness and depth to the image,” said Microsoft’s Sarah Bond. “We introduced this tech in our Xbox Series X|S consoles and got an outstanding response from creators and players. We’re excited to bring this groundbreaking technology to Windows 11.”
An HDR-capable is of course required to take advantage of the new feature.
Next, Windows 11 will have Xbox Game Pass built into the operating system itself, providing for users to “play the highest-fidelity games on all PCs,” Bond continued.
Finally, Windows 11 will feature DirectStorage, a technology “pioneered as part of the Xbox Velocity Architecture featured in the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S,” Bond affirmed.
“With DirectStorage, which will only be available with Windows 11, games can quickly load assets to the graphics card without bogging down the CPU. This means you’ll get to experience incredibly detailed game worlds rendered at lightning speeds, without long load times. ‘DirectStorage Optimized’ Windows 11 PCs are configured with the hardware and drivers needed to enable this amazing experience.”
Just as on Xbox Series consoles, a high-performance NVMe SSD and “proper drivers” are required to take advantage of DirectStorage.
Microsoft today unveiled Windows 11, saying the operating system will be rolled out to new PCs and existing ones with Windows 10 this holiday season.
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