DirectX 12 API New Feature Set Introduces GPU Upload Heaps, Enables Simultaneous Access to VRAM for CPU and GPU

[Mussels]

think you mix Direct Storage and this technology

because it's why it exists? This exists for directstorage.

 

[Punkenjoy]

because it's why it exists? This exists for directstorage.

No

Direct Storage can exist on it's own. Else, Direct Storage would have been released after this feature. This is for both CPU and GPU to be able to access the same VRAM region without having to copy it back to main ram.

 

[chrcoluk]

Seems a good step, but I also cant help but feel this will mean more stuff moving over to VRAM making it even more scarce.

 

[Vayra86]

Seems a good step, but I also cant help but feel this will mean more stuff moving over to VRAM making it even more scarce.

VRAM scarce? What are you talking about?

 

[Mussels]

Seems a good step, but I also cant help but feel this will mean more stuff moving over to VRAM making it even more scarce.

That's the opposite of what this does. It's designed for that situation, mostly because of the Xbox series S.
Simultaneous access is a latency benefit, since it's been accesible from the CPU and GPU for a while now (at least in DX12/vulkan)

Old (DX9) setup:
Compressed Storage -> RAM -> CPU changes things as requested -> Duplicate to VRAM -> GPU processes 3D goodness

Newer DirectStorage (when it eventually gets used correctly)
NVME storage -> VRAM, GPU harddware decompresses (Compressed NVME -> VRAM)
VRAM is now accessible by the CPU and GPU for either to read/write to as needed. No redundant "flush the whole thing and try again" steps

"Hey CPU can you hash this file and verify it's the one we need already decompressed and avoid loading the whole thing from scratch again? Cheers"

Consoles have shared RAM and VRAM, so this is primarily for them.
On PC it just means game engines will use less RAM, it does not mean they're going to use more VRAM.