When you launch a game for the first time on your PC, you sometimes have to wait several minutes while it compiles its shaders. And when you just want to play, this wait is just annoying.
Microsoft wants to reduce this wait thanks to a technology called Advanced Shader Delivery. Already introduced last year, it will soon roll out to more Windows 11 PCs and could reduce shader compilation time by about 95%, according to Microsoft.
Prebuilt shaders to launch games faster
In video games, shaders are small programs that allow the graphics card to display certain visual effects, such as shadows, reflections, or even lighting. But before you can use them, your PC usually has to compile them to fit your hardware.
This is the step that can take several minutes when you start a game for the first time. And if some shaders are compiled while you’re playing, that can cause stuttering too.
With advanced shader delivery, Microsoft wants to change the way these shaders are prepared. Instead of letting your computer handle them when you start the game, they are compiled beforehand for different hardware configurations and then downloaded in a format that your PC can use directly.
Therefore, your computer has much less work to do when starting the game. And since the shaders are already in place, this can also limit certain stuttering during games.
Up to 95% less build time in Gears of War: E-Day
To show what Advanced Shader Delivery can bring, Microsoft takes the example of Gears of War: E-Dayone of the first games to take advantage of this technology.
According to figures provided by the company, the time needed to compile the shaders would be reduced by approximately 95%. An operation that could take several minutes could take only a few seconds.
But be careful, this does not mean that the game will launch 95% faster. The advertised gain only refers to the compilation of shaders and not to the full load time. Results may also vary depending on the hardware used and supported games.
Advanced Shader Delivery is coming to more Windows 11 PCs
Advanced Shader Delivery is not completely new. Microsoft had already started implementing this technology in some devices, including ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally.
AMD graphics cards based on RDNA 1, RDNA 2, RDNA 3, RDNA 3.5 and RDNA 4 architectures are now supported, as long as you use Adrenalin 26.6.1 or newer drivers. Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 processors are also supported, with the minimum driver version 2026.08.3.
During October, Microsoft plans to add NVIDIA GeForce RTX and RTX Spark GPUs, Intel Arc B570 and B580, as well as integrated GPUs in Intel Core Ultra Series 2 and 3 processors.
To use Advanced Shader Delivery, you’ll need Windows 11 version 24H2 or later, updated graphics drivers, and of course a supported game. Because even with the right hardware, this technology won’t automatically work with all games. Developers must also plan their support.
Advanced Shader Delivery: dozens of games already supported
Advanced shader delivery is not reserved for Gears of War: E-Day. Microsoft had already published in June 2026 a list of more than 40 games that support this technology.
Among them we find Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33, Grand Theft Auto V Improved, Hogwarts Legacy, star field, Forza Horizon 6, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and 7, Ascended Survival Ark or even Grand Theft Auto V Improved.
Other titles should be added to this list, as Microsoft plans to gradually expand support for this technology.
To find out if Advanced Shader Delivery works on your PC, simply look at the home screen of a supported game. If “Precompiled shaders installed” appears, the precompiled shaders have been installed.
