Microsoft's shader stutter fix is now available for all AMD Radeon GPUs, Nvidia users have to wait

[Daniel Sims]

Something to look forward to: Microsoft has gradually rolled out its solution to shader compilation stutter since last year. The latest update for the feature, called Advanced Shader Delivery, just took a major step toward general availability. However, Nvidia GPU owners, who represent more than 90% of the desktop PC gaming market, must wait a few more months.

All Windows users with AMD Radeon graphics cards released in the past several years can now use a new feature from Microsoft that virtually eliminates shader compilation in PC games. However, the functionality currently only supports games played through the company's Xbox app.

Advanced Shader Delivery (ASD) reorganizes how games' shaders are compiled so they can be stored in the cloud and downloaded when installing a title or updating GPU drivers. This eliminates the long loading times that occur when games must compile shaders locally, helping avoid unstable performance during the first launch or after a driver change. Microsoft claims that ASD cuts Forza Horizon 6's initial load time by up to 95%.

– AMD Radeon (@AMDRadeon) June 12, 2026

ASD debuted on Asus ROG Xbox Ally devices last year, where it supports Avowed, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Control, Farming Simulator 25, Forza Horizon 5, Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, Silent Hill f, and many other titles. In May, Microsoft extended the feature to Xbox Insiders with AMD RDNA 3, RDNA 3.5, and RDNA 4 graphics hardware.

As ASD exits beta, support now extends to RDNA 2 and RDNA 1, covering every Radeon GPU since the RX 5000 series from 2019. Users must update to AMD Adrenalin version 26.6.1 or newer.

Also read: Shader Compilation and Why It Causes Stuttering, Explained

Support for Nvidia RTX hardware arrives later this year, and Intel has also pledged to implement the feature. In the meantime, the beta version of the Nvidia app currently supports a similar function called Auto Shader Compilation. While it does not save users from needing to compile shaders in-game upon initial boot, it can retain those shaders even after driver updates.

However, it remains unclear when or if ASD will support other game launchers, such as Steam, which serves the majority of PC gamers. ASD was likely inspired by the Steam Deck's ability to download precompiled shaders, owing to its locked hardware configuration.

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Microsoft's shader stutter fix is now available for all AMD Radeon GPUs, Nvidia users have to wait

 

[MasterAce]

Steam/Proton already do this on linux.

 

[kingmustard]

Steam/Proton already do this on linux.

ok

 

[AnilD]

The Xbox app requirement is doing a lot of damage to the headline. Microsoft may have eliminated shader stutter for Radeon owners, but only after asking them to buy the game from the store they were probably trying to avoid.

 

[jbright]

Shader compilation has become such a routine PC gaming problem that downloading precompiled shaders now feels like a breakthrough. Better late than never, but this really should have been solved years ago.

 

[NumberNine]

I let the shaders compile the first time I launch the game, then I don't see it again unless I format or reinstall. It's not that big of a deal.

 

[Mr Majestyk]

I disabled the Xbox App as I don't need it and only have Steam Games. Why should I have to use this App?

 

[hahahanoobs]

Windows 11 24H2 is also a requirement.
Adoption will suffer because it's cool to hate on it.

 

[kingmustard]

I let the shaders compile the first time I launch the game, then I don't see it again unless I format or reinstall. It's not that big of a deal.

You do. Everyone does. The shader compilation pass in almost every game that has one, misses a lot of shaders. Some games far worse than others but they are almost all affected.

 

[Lounds]

You do. Everyone does. The shader compilation pass in almost every game that has one, misses a lot of shaders. Some games far worse than others but they are almost all affected.

007 First light has some terrible Stutter when entering new areas. Meanwhile my steam deck doesn't get any, just low frame rate in some areas of the game.

 

[NumberNine]

You do. Everyone does. The shader compilation pass in almost every game that has one, misses a lot of shaders. Some games far worse than others but they are almost all affected.

Ah I see now, sounds like a development issue. I wish them the best of luck.

 

[texasrattler]

I disabled the Xbox App as I don't need it and only have Steam Games. Why should I have to use this App?

Because thats what the current fix is for. If you want the fix its for apps on the MS store. Dont want it, then you'll be like everyone else in waiting.
Otherwise just wait for shaders to complie. Its once anyways unless updating drivers. Modern pcs shouldn't have much of a issue. Older PCs, it'll take longer, some may experience issues.
Example, my old i7 9700K with 1070 and 33GB ddr4 would take longer to compile shaders, especially cod. But my new pc, i7 14700K 4070 super 32GB ddr5, compiles COD much faster n damn near instant for BF6.

 

[kingmustard]

Because thats what the current fix is for. If you want the fix its for apps on the MS store. Dont want it, then you'll be like everyone else in waiting.
Otherwise just wait for shaders to complie. Its once anyways unless updating drivers. Modern pcs shouldn't have much of a issue. Older PCs, it'll take longer, some may experience issues.
Example, my old i7 9700K with 1070 and 33GB ddr4 would take longer to compile shaders, especially cod. But my new pc, i7 14700K 4070 super 32GB ddr5, compiles COD much faster n damn near instant for BF6.

The shader compilation pass in almost every game misses a lot of shaders.

 

[texasrattler]

The shader compilation pass in almost every game misses a lot of shaders.

Im sure it does but its the option we currently have. We just have to wait for anything else new.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Im sure it does but its the option we currently have. We just have to wait for anything else new.

We can also voice our discontent with the fix being locked behind a proprietary storefront, since we are consumers and not Soviet peasants.

 

[texasrattler]

We can also voice our discontent with the fix being locked behind a proprietary storefront, since we are consumers and not Soviet peasants.

You can voice all your concerns, doesn't mean anyone gives a sh*t.
Companies will continue to do whatever they like. Welcome to the world we live in.

 

[Gezzer]

I let the shaders compile the first time I launch the game, then I don't see it again unless I format or reinstall. It's not that big of a deal.

Same. It's a question of what a minute or two? Or adding yet another layer that can go wrong. What happens if you can't download for some reason, or the cloud shaders get corrupted, or hacked, etc. I'm from the era when booting Win95 to desktop took forever, so it don't lose my **** over a few minutes...

 

[Rapob]

Steam/Proton already do this on linux.

Wrong. Works in very few games on Linux. Windows is the focus from game developers and Linux is worse for gaming overall by far. That is reality for you.

People that claim Linux is good for gaming, plays single player indie titles for the most part and can't see the difference between 30 and 120 fps. Extreme casuals with dated hardware, and with no clue on how games is actually able to run on newer hardware in newer games.

Come again when you have seen 500 fps on 500 Hz OLED. There is a reason why serious gamers stays on Windows. Gets peak focus from game devs. Peak focus from hardware manufactuers. Flawless gaming with top tier perf. They don't give a shite about Linux gaming (yet - Lets see if they will bother in 5-10 years)

Proton is a comp. layer that eats 10-25% performance on its own and can cause crashing and other issues. Why is a comp. layer needed? Because games are optimized and aimed at Windows. Hence why game requirements say: Windows required.

If you run Linux and the game won't run or crashes, dev's won't care for a second and ask you to try and replicate the problem on Windows. Close to 100% of their users are on Windows and it is their only focus.

Linux is a fragmented mess. Made by people in their sparetime. If Linux had a single distro, it would have far more hope of ever competing with Windows in terms of gaming. Fragmentation is Linux' biggest problem and it has been for decades.

Linux is mostly good for one thing, servers. And that is what I use Linux for. Pretty trash for desktop usage and especially gaming. Game catalog is extremely limited compared to Windows and in terms of performance, there is nothing to gain by running Linux. Tested and tried several times with multi boot, so you can ramble all you want. Come again when you have tried high-end hardware like me.

9800X3D at 5.6 GHz eCLK OC, 32GB 6400/CL28, RTX 4090 with UV and 10% OC + 500 Hz OLED here. I know how games are supposed to run. Linux is a joke for gaming overall, and only a handful of games even comes close to Windows.

Just because you play Tux Racer on Linux with your 10+ year old AMD APU does not make the OS good for gaming. No serious gamers are running Linux, for good reason, that is reality for you. No support from game devs. No support from hardware manufacturers. Pretty useless overall. Linux is better for gaming these days, that is true, but thinking it matches or even beats Windows, is extremely naive.

 

[RaXelliX]

The Xbox app requirement is doing a lot of damage to the headline. Microsoft may have eliminated shader stutter for Radeon owners, but only after asking them to buy the game from the store they were probably trying to avoid.

I disabled the Xbox App as I don't need it and only have Steam Games. Why should I have to use this App?

Agreed. I have removed all xbox bloat from my machine. No way im reinstalling any of it. So thanks but no thanks. I'll wait for the agnostic version that doesn't require xbox bloat on my PC. This is typical microslop. Putting a genuine useful feature behind a unreasonable requirement a'la ms account instead of local etc.