Microsoft is working to eliminate PC gaming's "compiling shaders" wait times

"Microsoft first rolled out Advanced Shader Delivery in its SDK last September and added support to the ROG Xbox Ally as a proof of concept by October. Microsoft said that the addition reduced launch times in games like Avowed by "as much as 85 percent," which is a big deal on battery-limited handhelds."

"Even with hardware support, game engine makers will have to integrate Microsoft's SODB APIs to streamline the setup process for game developers. Epic Games says it is "doing early testing and explorations on SODB and PSDB generation and will have more details coming soon," which is probably not the full-throated commitment Microsoft would like at this point."

"For now, Microsoft has updated its APIs to let developers more easily create and test PSDBs and more easily compile shaders in larger games. The company is also urging developers to "integrate SODB collection into your game engine" now so they'll be ready to upload those precompiled shaders through the Xbox Partner Center starting in May."

Microsoft introduced Advanced Shader Delivery in its SDK to eliminate shader compilation delays during game launches, achieving up to 85 percent reduction in load times on devices like the ROG Xbox Ally. Hardware manufacturers including Nvidia, Intel, and Qualcomm are implementing support, though adoption timelines vary. Game engine makers must integrate Microsoft's SODB APIs to streamline developer setup. Epic Games is conducting early testing but hasn't committed fully. Microsoft updated its APIs to simplify PSDB creation and shader compilation for developers. Starting in May, Xbox app games will skip shader compilation steps. Microsoft intends this technology to eventually become available across all storefronts, not limited to its platform.

Read at Ars Technica