Nvidia has launched driver version 621.01, which activates Microsoft’s Advanced Shader Delivery system to make game start‑up times faster. The feature also eliminates the need for “just‑in‑time” shader compilation during gameplay, a change that should smooth out stutter and cut CPU spikes.
Advanced Shader Delivery works by moving the heavy lifting of shader compilation to the cloud. Using DirectX 12, Windows 11 and the Microsoft Agility SDK, developers package shaders into a State Object Database (SODB). This allows Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure to pre‑compile shaders for a vast array of hardware and driver configurations. As Nvidia explained, “Using DirectX 12, Windows 11, and the Microsoft Agility SDK, developers capture shaders into a State Object Database (SODB), allowing Microsoft’s cloud network to precompile shaders for hundreds of thousands of hardware and driver combinations.”
The new driver is available today, and the full story can be read at The Verge.