Microsoft is expanding the availability of its Advanced Shader Delivery (ASD) technology to all current and older Nvidia GPUs on Windows 11 over the course of October 2026. The feature is intended to drastically cut down lengthy shader compilation times when launching games for the first time, reducing wait times from several minutes to just a few seconds.
Broad support for Nvidia RTX and Intel Arc
As Wendy Ho, Program Manager for DirectX at Microsoft, announced in a blog post, the technology—previously primarily limited to AMD hardware—is now being opened up to a significantly broader spectrum of hardware. In addition to all NVIDIA RTX graphics cards—explicitly including earlier generations like the RTX 2000 and 3000 series—devices on the RTX Spark platform will also be covered.
At the same time, Intel is gaining access to the system: Alongside the dedicated Intel Arc B570 and B580 models, the integrated graphics units of the Core Ultra Series 2 and Series 3 processor lineups will also benefit. However, according to Microsoft, exact minimum driver version requirements for Nvidia and Intel chips are still pending; these already exist for AMD systems (RDNA 1 to 4) and Qualcomm platforms.
How it works: Shaders from the Microsoft Cloud
ASD relies on cloud-based delivery of precomputed data. Normally, a PC compiles shader programs—algorithms used to render lighting, shadows, and surfaces—locally on its own GPU when a game is launched for the first time. Advanced Shader Delivery instead downloads matching Pipeline State Objects (PSOs) directly from the cloud for the specific hardware and driver combination. Microsoft estimates that this reduces initial compilation time by around 95 percent.
In addition to speeding up the launch process, the solution is intended to reduce shader stutter—brief hitching that occurs when uncompiled shaders have to be computed on the fly during gameplay. However, ASD does not increase average frame rates (FPS).
Requirements and first games
To use the technology, certain prerequisites must be met:
- The operating system must be at least Windows 11 version 24H2 or later.
- The respective game must be installed via the Xbox PC App.
- Developers must prepare their titles and submit data to the Xbox Partner Center.
Players receive an on-screen notification at launch confirming the system is active. The showcase title is “Gears of War: E-Day,” which achieves load times of around 20 seconds instead of the usual 15 minutes on handhelds. ASD support for Nvidia and Intel cards is slated to follow later this month. “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4” has already been announced as the next supported title for October 23, 2026.
What players should do now
Windows 11 users should check whether their system is updated to version 24H2 and watch for new graphics card drivers from Nvidia and Intel going forward, once they are made available with official ASD certification. Anyone who obtains titles through platforms other than the Xbox PC app will initially not benefit from cloud delivery.
Sources: Borncity.com
