Windows 11 will include Xbox’s Auto HDR and fast game loading features

Microsoft has announced that Windows 11 will include the Auto HDR and DirectStorage functionality currently enjoyed by Xbox Series X/S owners.

A new article on Xbox Wire explains how Windows 11’s gaming features will include the Xbox Series X/S tech to improve the gaming experience on PC.

Auto HDR will automatically add High Dynamic Range (HDR) image enhancements to any games built on DirectX 11 or higher, even if they previously only featured Standard Dynamic Range (SDR). This will allow for a wider range of brightness values and colours, making the image more vivid.

Windows 11 will also includes DirectStorage, which is part of the Xbox Velocity Architecture featured in Series X/S consoles.

DirectStorage lets games quickly load assets to the graphics card without putting strain on the CPU, meaning titles can feature detailed game worlds at extremely fast speeds without long load times.

Players will need to have “a high performance NVMe SSD and the proper drivers” to access DirectStorage, and Windows 11 PCs marked ‘DirectStorage Optimised’ will be sold to let those buying a new computer know if it’s compatible out of the box.

Microsoft started testing Auto HDR on PC earlier this year, with members of the Windows Insider Program able to test-drive the functionality in advance.

Auto HDR is used on Xbox Series X/S to add HDR visuals to backwards compatible Xbox One and Xbox 360 games without any work needed by the game’s original developer.

In March 2021, Microsoft rolled out an update for Xbox Series X/S that included new toggles for FPS Boost and Auto HDR for backward compatible games.