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Microsoft says Gears of War: E-Day can finish its first-launch shader compilation in a few seconds with Advanced Shader Delivery (ASD), instead of several minutes on a typical PC without it. The feature delivers precompiled shaders with the game download, reducing shader work for the CPU at startup. Microsoft reports an approximately 95% reduction in compilation time, but does not publish benchmark conditions or independent validation for that figure.
How Advanced Shader Delivery reduces the wait
Games may need to compile shaders—small programs used to render visual effects—when they first start on a PC. With ASD, precompiled shaders are delivered alongside the game download, so the PC has less shader compilation work to do at startup. Microsoft says this can also reduce stutter associated with compiling shaders at runtime.
In its October 1, 2026 announcement, Microsoft said first-launch compilation takes “just a few seconds” with ASD, compared with “several minutes on a typical PC without ASD.” It described the reduction as approximately 95%. These are Microsoft’s published claims, not a universal performance guarantee: the post does not provide test conditions, hardware configurations, sample size, or independent test results. Microsoft DirectX Developer Blog, October 1, 2026.
What you need for ASD
- Windows: Windows 11 version 24H2 or higher.
- A supported GPU and driver: Microsoft’s October 1 list includes AMD RDNA 1, 2, 3, 3.5 and 4 GPUs with Adrenalin 26.6.1 or higher, and Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 with driver 2026.08.3 or higher.
- Xbox PC app: Microsoft recommends installing the app before downloading E-Day.
Compatibility is specific to GPU family and driver, and the rollout is changing. In its October 1 announcement, Microsoft said support for Intel Arc B-series/Core Ultra and NVIDIA RTX was expected to expand later that month. The game’s September 30 update separately described AMD support at launch and NVIDIA support later in October. Check the latest official compatibility information before relying on ASD for a particular PC. Microsoft’s compatibility announcement and the official game update.
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How to check whether precompiled shaders were installed
- Confirm that Windows is running version 24H2 or higher and that your GPU and driver meet Microsoft’s currently listed requirements.
- Install the Xbox PC app before downloading E-Day.
- Download the game through a supported delivery route, then start it.
- Look in the launch window for the message “Precompiled shaders installed.” Microsoft says this indicates ASD is working.
The official game update says the Xbox PC app installed on a Windows 11 PC may preinstall the required shaders even if you play E-Day outside the app. That does not establish that every storefront delivers ASD: Microsoft’s feature announcement associates it with supported storefronts such as the Microsoft Store and Xbox PC app, so do not assume a Steam download includes it. Official game update; Xbox Wire’s PC feature announcement.
Where the Windows PC version is available
Xbox lists Gears of War: E-Day for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Steam, and says it is available with PC Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate. Those availability listings do not mean ASD is supported on every version or storefront. Xbox Wire, September 17, 2026.
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What the announcement does not establish
- Microsoft does not provide the test setup behind its approximately 95% figure, so it should not be read as a guaranteed reduction on every supported PC.
- The cited announcements do not say whether shaders need to be compiled again on later launches.
- Storefront availability alone does not confirm ASD support; check the supported delivery route and the in-game installation message.
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