Microsoft and AMD collaborate to push new features: game loading can be shortened by up to 95%

[ Gearbest Technology News]Recently, Microsoft and AMD announced the introduction of Advanced Shader Delivery technology for AMD graphics cards using RDNA architecture in Xbox PC applications. This function transfers the shader compilation that originally needs to be completed locally to the cloud for processing. Officials say it can shorten the loading time of some PC games by up to 95% and reduce the lag during operation.

In the past, many modern games required the computer to compile shaders natively upon first launch or after adjusting graphics settings. This process is not only time-consuming, but also takes up more hardware resources. In contrast, due to the relatively unified hardware specifications of host platforms, downloading pre-compiled shaders is a relatively mature solution. Today, Microsoft and AMD are trying to introduce similar ideas into the PC platform, distributing adaptation data through the cloud to reduce the waiting time caused by local compilation.

According to official instructions, this feature now supports all RDNA architecture AMD graphics cards, covering the Radeon RX 5000 series and later products. Users need to install the Adrenalin 26.6.1 graphics card driver, the Gaming Services version needs to be 37.113.11003.0, and the system version must be at least Windows 24H2. After the conditions are met, the relevant mechanism will be automatically enabled in the background, and the corresponding data will be downloaded from the network after the game is installed or the driver is updated.

Microsoft

In terms of actual effects, the official said that using a device equipped with Radeon RX 7600 and Ryzen 7 5800 as an example, the initial loading time of “Forza Horizon 6” can be reduced from about 90 seconds to 4 seconds. The first batch of games that support this feature has exceeded 30, including “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6”, “Light and Shadow: Expedition 33”, “Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024”, “Grand Theft Auto 5 Enhanced Edition” and “Silent Hill F”.

However, this feature is currently limited to the Microsoft ecosystem and only applies to games running through the Xbox PC app. Games launched through platforms such as Steam or the Epic Games Store are temporarily unable to use this capability. Microsoft also said that support for Nvidia and Intel graphics cards is under development, but the specific launch time has not yet been announced.