Nvidia Drivers Preload Shaders to Smooth PC Gaming
WHO:
Digital Foundry - Nvidia added Microsoft’s Advanced Shader Delivery (ASD) support to its RTX and RTX Spark graphics drivers.
The Verge - Nvidia’s Andrew Burnes described how developers and Microsoft’s cloud network process shaders for ASD.
Digital Foundry, The Verge - Gears of War: E-Day and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 support ASD.
Digital Foundry, The Verge - ASD is also supported by AMD graphics drivers; The Verge specifies AMD Adrenalin 26.6.1 or higher. The Verge also reports support for Qualcomm Snapdragon X2-series graphics with driver version 2026.08.3 or higher.
WHAT:
Digital Foundry, The Verge - Nvidia’s 621.01 GPU driver enables ASD, which downloads or precompiles shaders for specific hardware through the cloud to reduce game-launch times and in-game stuttering.
The Verge - ASD can eliminate mid-game “just-in-time” shader compilation, CPU spikes, and frame stutters; Nvidia says supported games can achieve a “near-100 percent cache hit rate.”
Digital Foundry - Microsoft says ASD reduces the initial shader precompilation step by up to 95 percent; shader compilation can otherwise take more than 20 minutes in some games, even on high-end systems.
Digital Foundry - ASD does not prevent traversal stutter caused by game data loading into and out of memory as players cross an invisible boundary.
Digital Foundry - Nvidia’s Automatic Shader Compilation can prevent shaders from being wiped out after a graphics-driver update and can be used alongside ASD.
WHERE:
Digital Foundry - ASD requires Windows 11; the article says shader downloads are matched to the user’s graphics hardware.
The Verge - Supported games can be purchased on Steam, but the Xbox PC app must be installed on the PC for ASD benefits.
WHEN:
Digital Foundry, The Verge - Nvidia’s 621.01 driver enables ASD. Digital Foundry specifies Windows 11 24H2 or later is required.
Digital Foundry - Intel discrete and integrated graphics support was expected later this month, but no release date or driver version had been announced.
WHY:
Digital Foundry, The Verge - ASD addresses shader-compilation stutter, which can occur when games compile shaders on the fly, such as when a model or effect appears for the first time.
HOW:
The Verge - Developers capture shaders in a State Object Database (SODB) using DirectX 12, Windows 11, and the Microsoft Agility SDK; Microsoft’s cloud network precompiles them for hundreds of thousands of hardware and driver combinations.
Digital Foundry - ASD generally works without user involvement, but game developers must specifically support it; users need the compatible driver and operating system.
Digital Foundry - The 621.01 driver can be installed through the Nvidia app or by manually downloading the installer.
(UPDATED October 22, 2026 05:07 UTC)
Nvidia’s 621.01 graphics driver adds Microsoft’s Advanced Shader Delivery, a system designed to reduce long game launches and stuttering caused by shaders compiling on the fly. Developers capture shaders with DirectX 12, and Microsoft’s cloud network precompiles them for a wide range of hardware and driver combinations. The matching shaders are then downloaded for a player’s graphics hardware, often without any extra steps. Microsoft says the process can cut initial shader precompilation by up to 95 percent, while Nvidia says supported games can achieve a near-100 percent cache hit rate. The feature works with Windows 11 24H2 or later, and players need the Xbox PC app, even for games bought on Steam. Supported titles include Gears of War: E-Day and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. AMD and Qualcomm graphics also support ASD, but it won’t fix stutters caused by game data loading.