By Skye Jacobs
Publication Date: 2026-10-05 11:15:00
Something to look forward to: Microsoft is preparing to expand its Advanced Shader Delivery service to PCs with Intel, Nvidia and Qualcomm graphics hardware, a move aimed at cutting down the lengthy shader-compilation process that can hold up a game’s first launch. The service has already appeared in the PC version of Gears of War: E-Day, but it currently works only with AMD Radeon GPUs. Microsoft says support for more Windows devices is coming later in October.
Advanced Shader Delivery, or ASD, distributes compiled shaders from the cloud instead of having each player’s PC compile them locally before play. Microsoft says that can reduce the process from “several minutes” to “just a few seconds,” with a 95% reduction in burn time overall.
Shader compilation is now a familiar issue for PC players, especially in large games with demanding graphics systems. Shaders are small programs used by the GPU to render lighting, surfaces, effects and other visual elements. A game…
