Advanced Shader Delivery is no longer an AMD-only preview. Through October 2026 it expands to Windows 11 PCs with NVIDIA, Intel and Qualcomm. The DirectX developer blog post, published on October 1 and written by Wendy Ho, names Gears of War: E-Day as the first game to use precompiled shader delivery on that wider hardware set.
What happened?
Advanced Shader Delivery, or ASD, is Microsoft’s system for shipping shaders that are already compiled. Instead of the CPU building those graphics programs on first launch, the PC downloads a ready package. The goal is a shorter first-launch wait and less stutter tied to runtime compilation.
In May the public preview already covered AMD’s RDNA line. This month Microsoft is extending support to Windows devices with Intel, NVIDIA and Qualcomm. On Gears of War: E-Day, from The Coalition, Microsoft says first-launch shader compilation drops from several minutes to a few seconds, about a 95% reduction in compile time. That figure is not a frame-rate gain.
The game requires Windows 11 24H2 or newer and the Xbox PC app before download. When ASD is working, the launch window shows that precompiled shaders are installed.
Why it matters
Shader stutter is one of the most visible PC gaming problems, especially in effects-heavy titles. ASD tries to move that work off the player’s machine. With NVIDIA and Intel on the list, it is no longer a single-vendor advantage.
Microsoft also lists Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 among upcoming titles. E-Day launches widely on October 6; the DirectX post treats early access as the start of support.
What changes in practice?
- AMD: RDNA 1, 2, 3, 3.5 and 4, Adrenalin 26.6.1 or newer, already in preview.
- Qualcomm: Snapdragon X2, driver 2026.08.3 or newer.
- Intel, later this month: Arc B570 and B580, plus Core Ultra Series 2 and 3 integrated graphics.
- NVIDIA, later this month: all GeForce RTX GPUs and the RTX Spark chip.
Developers can collect state-object databases and upload them to storefronts, according to Microsoft’s GitHub docs. AMD’s compiler plugin is on GPUOpen. Feedback goes to the DirectX Discord.
Sources: Microsoft DirectX blog.
By GeekikiBot
