NVIDIA's GeForce Game Ready driver "621.01 WHQL," released on October 21, 2026, now supports Microsoft's "Advanced Shader Delivery (ASD)." The technology delivers shader data precompiled for your GPU when you download a game, shortening the wait the first time you launch it. Microsoft announced the same day that ASD is available on supported devices, including GeForce RTX, and laid out the requirements. The demanding compilation work that each PC used to handle on its own can now be done in the cloud, and that approach is extending to GeForce RTX users. However, simply updating your driver will not eliminate load waits in every game. To benefit, you need both game support and the right distribution channel.
All GeForce RTX models supported; Steam support still to come
According to Microsoft's October 21 announcement, using ASD on NVIDIA GPUs requires Windows 11 24H2 or later and driver 621.01 or later. Supported hardware includes all RTX GPUs and RTX Spark, and NVIDIA says all GeForce RTX users are covered. In other words, you don't need to buy a latest-generation GPU. That said, having a compatible GPU and driver is a separate matter from actually receiving ASD data from a game distribution service.
As of October 21, 2026, the only distribution channels for ASD-enabled games are the Microsoft Store and the Xbox PC app. Support for Steam and the Epic Games Store is planned for the future. Based on Microsoft's announcement and NVIDIA's explanation of delivery through the Xbox PC app, the current state of support is as follows.
| Item | Status as of October 21, 2026 |
|---|---|
| GeForce RTX driver | Supported with version 621.01 or later |
| Windows | Windows 11 24H2 or later required |
| Current distribution | Supported games delivered via the Microsoft Store and Xbox PC app |
| Steam, Epic Games Store | Planned; no specific start date announced |
| Fortnite | ASD support planned in a future update |
This means the start of ASD support for GeForce RTX does not guarantee the same benefit for every game you buy on Steam. To use ASD, a game's developer must prepare the necessary data, and the distribution service must deliver it to the user's PC. No timeline has been given for when Steam or the Epic Games Store will support it.
The examples of supported titles cited by both companies are Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and Gears of War: E-Day. According to Microsoft, ASD can cut the initial shader compilation in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, which took several minutes on a typical PC, down to a few seconds. However, this comparison covers only shader preparation; it does not indicate improvements in overall game startup time or frame rates. To use ASD with that game, players are advised to install the Xbox PC app before downloading it. After installing a supported driver, you can check whether "Precompiled shaders installed" appears at the lower left of the screen when the game launches.
Compiling shaders in the cloud to speed up first launch
Shaders are programs that control the GPU's rendering, such as how light falls on objects and how surfaces look in a game. The generic shader code included in a game cannot necessarily be run by the GPU as is; it must be "compiled," or converted into instructions suited to the specific GPU and driver. If this is done all at once on first launch, the wait before the game starts gets longer. If shaders are compiled during play as they are needed, it can cause temporary frame-rate drops and stuttering.
Compiled shaders are normally saved as a cache and reused on later launches. However, according to Microsoft's technical explanation of ASD, this cache depends on the combination of game, GPU, and driver. As a result, updating your driver can invalidate the existing cache and require shaders to be recompiled. Compiling once does not mean the same data can be used indefinitely.
ASD runs this process in the cloud in advance rather than on the user's PC. First, the information needed for the game's rendering is gathered into a database called an "SODB." Next, compilers provided by GPU makers are run in the cloud to generate from the SODB a compiled database, called a "PSDB," for a specific GPU and driver. According to NVIDIA, when a supported game is downloaded or updated, the PSDB suited to that PC's configuration is delivered through the Xbox PC app.
Importantly, this is not a system that sends the same compiled data to every PC. Based on shared game information, data is generated in advance for each combination of GPU and driver, and the version suited to each environment is delivered. If the necessary data is already in the Windows shader cache, the user's CPU no longer has to compile that portion from scratch. This reduces the wait on first launch and the load from shader compilation during gameplay.
NVIDIA explains that in ASD-enabled games, the shader cache hit rate is close to 100%, eliminating shader compilation during play. However, this is the company's description of supported titles, not independent measurement showing the same effect in every game. Stuttering in games also has many causes besides shader compilation. Skipping shader preparation through ASD should be distinguished from guaranteeing that a game will run smoothly overall.
How it differs from NVIDIA's Auto Shader Compilation
GeForce also has a feature in the NVIDIA app called Auto Shader Compilation (ASC). NVIDIA introduced it as a beta in March 2026; it recompiles DirectX 12 shaders while the PC is idle. Its main purpose is to rebuild the shader cache after driver updates and reduce how often compilation occurs during gameplay.
The key differences between ASC and ASD are where shaders are compiled and whether data is available on first launch. ASC runs compilation on the user's PC, whereas ASD downloads data generated in advance in the cloud. NVIDIA's explanation of ASC also states that when you download a game for the first time, shaders must still be generated in the game.
In short, ASC is a feature that handles shader compilation during a PC's idle time, while ASD is a technology that makes compiled data available from the first time you launch a supported game. For GeForce RTX users who already use ASC, ASD offers the advantage of reducing preparation at first launch.
ASD, however, is not a feature you can use through NVIDIA app settings alone. Even if the driver supports compiled data, the game's developer must generate the SODB and the distribution service must deliver the appropriate PSDB to the user. By moving processing that used to run on each PC to the cloud, the burden on users is reduced, but game developers and distribution services need systems for continuously generating and delivering data.
Keeping data updated with game patches is key to adoption
To keep ASD effective, shader-related data must be updated whenever the game itself is updated. If old ASD data continues to be delivered after the game has changed, shader compilation may occur again even in supported titles. Microsoft's developer guidance published in September also explains that as the game and SODB package versions diverge, in-game compilation may become necessary. Addressing this requires uploading a new SODB that reflects the changes.
ASD is not a technology that, once supported, automatically keeps up with every later change to a game. How much existing compiled data can be reused depends on the content of the update, so developers need to keep working on it. Microsoft also says ASD's effect varies with the nature and scale of a game's changes, so support status cannot be judged as a simple on-or-off choice.
Game engine support is also progressing. According to Microsoft's October 21 announcement, Unreal Engine 5.8.4 already offers a feature for building SODB generation into a game's production pipeline. Unity integration is planned for 2027. However, engine support does not mean every game made with that engine automatically supports ASD. For each title, the necessary data must be generated and delivered to users through a supporting distribution service.
The GeForce RTX support widens the range of GPUs that can use ASD, but whether you actually see the benefit depends on the support status of games and distribution services. RTX users should first check whether the game they play supports ASD and whether the store they bought it from can deliver compiled data. Going forward, adoption will depend on expanded support in Steam and the Epic Games Store, as well as on whether the shorter waits can be maintained after game updates. With supported games, distribution channels, and updated shader data in place, players can reduce the wait before a game starts and the compilation load during play without buying a new GPU.