DirectX AgilitySDK Introduces Advanced Shader Delivery to Reduce Stutters and Loading Times During Shader Compilation

Microsoft has officially released its DirectX 12 AgilitySDK, which introduces advanced shader delivery aimed at resolving ongoing shader compilation challenges that have plagued PC gaming.

Addressing Shader Compilation Challenges for PC Gamers with Microsoft’s AgilitySDK

In recent years, many PC gamers have expressed frustration over the lackluster optimization in newly launched titles. A trend has emerged where games struggle to maintain playable frame rates without demanding high-end hardware. In response to optimization shortcomings, developers often turn to upscaling technologies, attempting to rectify problems that should have been addressed pre-launch. Unfortunately, it frequently takes numerous patches—sometimes extending a year after a game’s release—before many titles achieve a stable, enjoyable state.

Among the prominent issues affecting gameplay are shader compilation stutters and prolonged loading times, particularly in titles built on Unreal Engine 5. While some games based on this engine demonstrate commendable optimization, success largely hinges on the effort invested by development teams. As developers face tighter deadlines imposed by publishers, the quality of optimization often suffers, resulting in a frustrating gaming experience for PC users.

In response to these concerns, Microsoft aims to enhance the gaming landscape through its DirectX API. The newly launched AgilitySDK 1.618 is a crucial development that features Advanced Shader Delivery, which promises to ameliorate shader compilation issues.

As detailed in the DirectX Developer Blog, this innovative feature facilitates the distribution of precompiled shaders during game downloads. By doing so, it significantly reduces stutter associated with in-game shader compilation, offering a performance level akin to console gaming on Windows PCs.

Advanced shader delivery is set to launch on October 16th for the new ROG Xbox Ally handheld devices. We are pleased to unveil the tooling that enables this crucial step in tackling long load times and stuttering for players. Owners of these devices will benefit from precompiled shaders at download time for select titles, allowing for a quicker gaming experience. Today’s blog underscores our commitment to improving game development.

Our objective is to empower developers to programmatically capture and generate a new asset type called a State Object Database (SODB) from pipeline state object inputs in their game engines during development. This approach surpasses the outdated manual capture method, allowing for a near full shader cache hit rate for the entire title. Developers will be able to package this complete SODB with their games, downloadable content (DLC), or updates, ultimately ensuring support for advanced shader delivery on launch day, which translates into a fast and seamless gaming experience on Windows. This will also enable Windows to achieve console-like load times across various hardware configurations.

Currently, Xbox is leading the charge by integrating support in the Xbox app, but in the future, any storefront will be able to compile SODBs into Precompiled Shader Databases (PSDBs) for distribution. All necessary functionality is built into Windows 11 with DirectX, empowering developers delivering games on this platform to utilize this innovative approach for their players.

Set to debut on October 16th, the Advanced Shader Delivery feature will first be available on ROG Xbox Ally handhelds. During the download process, precompiled shaders will be incorporated for select titles. Although the long-term plan includes an expansion to all Windows 11 devices and platforms, its initial rollout will take place within the Xbox App, with other platforms such as Steam and EGS eventually following suit in compiling and distributing SODBs as PSDBs.

Three key components are poised to spearhead the advanced shader delivery initiative:

State Object Database (SODB) Authoring and Collection Tools
Offline Compilers from hardware partners
Game Installer Registration APIs

Moreover, the DirectX AgilitySDK will permit offline compilers to precompile shaders, freeing up local hardware resources like GPUs. Several Independent Hardware Vendors (IHVs) are already readying offline compilers for use by game developers.

AMD:

AMD’s compiler plugin support is now available via the AMD Software: AgilitySDK Developer Preview Edition 25.10.07.01 Sept 25 Update: Visit AMD’s site for details.

Intel:

Intel is eager to collaborate with Microsoft to provide gamers on PC with a console-like shader compilation experience. Developers can expect our offline compiler and driver support to be available in November.

Qualcomm:

The introduction of advanced shader delivery denotes a pivotal moment in elevating the gaming experience for users. We are keen about its potential and are working alongside ecosystem partners to implement this feature on Adreno GPUs.

Nvidia:

“By partnering with Microsoft to integrate support for advanced shader delivery, NVIDIA aims to equip developers with tools to enhance game loading times and provide a smoother experience for gamers, ” stated Henry Lin, Director of Product Management, Gaming & AI at NVIDIA.

This progress indicates a meaningful shift in addressing shader compilation delays. It is hoped that developers will fully leverage the capabilities provided by the latest DirectX AgilitySDK to significantly enhance the gaming experience for PC players.

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