GPU decompression will enable “a higher bandwidth for streaming assets from storage to the graphics card,” according to Nixxes Software.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is set to launch for PC later this month, and given the fact that it was billed as a showpiece release for the PS5 to show off the console’s powerful new hardware, many have wondered how demanding its requirements on PC will be, and what the port’s tech will look like.
Recently, system requirements were revealed for Rift Apart’s PC port, confirming that an SSD won’t be required on minimum settings, which took many by surprise, given the fact that Insomniac repeatedly stressed in the lead-up to the game’s PS5 launch that it would not have worked without the console’s SSD.
However, it seems Rift Apart is making use of other techniques to aid with streaming and loading. In a recently published Steam post that has since been deleted (via ResetEra), Nixxes Software, the developer of the PC port, explained that Rift Apart on PC will be the first DirectStorage 1.2 game with support for GPU decompression, which will enable “a higher bandwidth for streaming assets from storage to the graphics card.”
“To enable quick loading and instant transition between dimensions, the game needs to be able to load assets quickly. DirectStorage ensures quick loading times and GPU decompression is used at high graphics settings to stream assets in the background while playing,” said senior lead programmer Richard van der Laan. “Traditionally, this decompression is handled by the CPU, but at a certain point there is an advantage to letting the GPU handle this, as this enables a higher bandwidth for streaming assets from storage to the graphics card. We use this to quickly load high-quality textures and environments with a high level of detail.”
Principal programmer Alex Bartholomeus added: “DirectStorage is developed to fully utilize the speed of fast PCIe NVMe SSDs, but the technology is also compatible with SATA SSDs and even traditional hard disk drives. This means Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart on PC can use the same technology for loading data, regardless of the storage device in your system.”
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart will not require an SSD on minimum settings, though the game does recommend one for the majority of its presets. It will also require roughly 75 GB of free storage space.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart launches for PC on July 26.
