Microsoft has claimed that the latest version of its Windows operating system will deliver the best gaming experience for PC players.
In a new post on the Xbox Wire blog, Xbox corporate vice president for game creator experience and ecosystem, Sarah Bond, called the upcoming OS the “best Windows ever for gaming”. The Microsoft exec cited three new features that would improve the experience for gamers: Auto HDR, DirectStorage and Xbox Game Pass for PC.
“We build Windows to be a magical place, where everyone can play, connect and create,” Bond wrote. “That’s why we’re delighted to bring you Windows 11, with superior graphics, amazing speed, and an incredible selection of games.”
Bond says that Auto HDR will add “enhancements to games built on DirectX 11 or higher”, which will improve various graphical elements, from “a much wider range of brightness values and colours” to having an “extra sense of richness and depth to the image”. During the Windows 11 reveal event, Bond reportedly said that “over 1,000 games… will be automatically enhanced on Windows 11 devices that support HDR”, according to Polygon.
Meanwhile, DirectStorage will allow games to “load assets to the graphics card without bogging down the CPU”, meaning that game worlds can be “rendered at lightning speeds, without long load times”. However, the feature will only be available on “‘DirectStorage Optimized’ Windows 11 PCs”, which will presumably require a high performance NVMe SSD and the proper drivers.
Last is Xbox Game Pass, which Bond said will be “easier than ever” to access as the Xbox app is being “built into Windows 11”. The exec also noted that “even an entry-level device” running Windows 10 will be able to play games, most notably Xox console titles, though xCloud for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers.
During the Windows 11 reveal event, Microsoft chief product officer Panos Panay also said that “if you’re a gamer, Windows 11 is made for you”. The upcoming OS is said to also support Android apps for the first time, through the new Windows Store.
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