Key information
Microsoft has announced that its Advanced Shader Delivery technology will expand support to NVIDIA and Intel graphics cards at the end of October. The upcoming hardware support encompasses all RTX/Spark GPUs, alongside Arc B570 and B580 processors, as well as Core Ultra Series 2 and Series 3 processors.
Advanced Shader Delivery shifts the cloud-based compilation of shaders to happen concurrently with game downloads, distributing precompiled shaders directly with compatible titles. This mechanism aims to bypass the lengthy shader compilation screens and stuttering typically encountered during initial game launches or gameplay.
According to Microsoft, Advanced Shader Delivery reduces shader compilation time by approximately 95%. For instance, Gears of War: E-Day's initial startup time drops from several minutes on a standard PC to just a few seconds. The technology initially debuted in October 2025 on ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X devices, and expanded to AMD RDNA architectures in May 2026.
To utilize the feature, users require Windows 11 24H2 or a later version, along with updated drivers. Game developers must also provide support for Advanced Shader Delivery to distribute the precompiled shaders. While specific concrete launch dates for individual NVIDIA and Intel driver versions remain unconfirmed, titles like Gears of War: E-Day and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 are slated to support it.
