Nvidia’s new 621.01 driver brings Advanced Shader Delivery to GeForce RTX cards, so supported games can skip the long “compiling shaders” screen. It works on RTX 20-series through 50-series cards, and you don’t need to flip any setting. The catch: for now it only helps certain games installed through the Xbox PC app.
If you’ve ever stared at a progress bar before a big PC game would start, this is aimed squarely at you.
Quick Facts
- Driver: GeForce Game Ready 621.01 WHQL, released around October 22, 2026
- Cards: GeForce RTX 20-series to 50-series
- Games at launch: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and Gears of War: E-Day
- Where it works: games installed or updated through the Xbox PC app
- Setup: install the driver, nothing else
Those five lines are the whole story for most players. The rest of this post explains what’s happening behind the scenes and what to expect.
What Advanced Shader Delivery actually does
Games draw their graphics using small programs called shaders. Normally your PC builds them for your exact graphics card the first time you launch a game, and again after many driver updates. Nvidia says this can take up to 30 minutes, according to PC Gamer.
Advanced Shader Delivery is a Microsoft feature that moves that work off your PC. A matching set of precompiled shaders, built for your hardware, is bundled with the game download. Your CPU no longer spends minutes doing the same job.
Microsoft already ran this with AMD graphics. Nvidia’s 621.01 driver is the piece that lets RTX cards use it too.
How to get Advanced Shader Delivery on your RTX card
There’s no toggle to hunt for. Follow these steps and the feature switches on by itself when a supported game is present.
- Install GeForce driver 621.01 or newer, using the Nvidia app or the Nvidia website.
- Make sure you’re on Windows 11 24H2 or newer, which Microsoft’s requirements reportedly list.
- Install or update a supported game through the Xbox PC app.
- Launch the game from the Xbox app and look for a “precompiled shaders installed” note on the splash screen.
That last message is how reviewer Club386 confirmed it was working on an RTX 4080. If you’re still on an older Windows build, our guide to Windows 11 24H2 end of support covers what to do next.
Does Advanced Shader Delivery really cut load times?
Early results look good, though they’re hands-on reports rather than Nvidia benchmarks. Club386 says the shader step in Gears of War: E-Day now finishes in seconds. The Steam copy of the same game took upwards of 10 minutes on the same system.
PC Gamer also relays a report of “considerably lower” system RAM use, around 7-8 GB less in Gears of War: E-Day. CPU use stayed fairly high, though.
One thing nobody has proven yet: whether it reduces in-game stutter. Treat that as a possible bonus, not a promise.
Which games and stores work today
Support depends on the game, the store, and your card. Here’s the current picture.
| Item | Status today |
|---|---|
| RTX 20 to 50-series | Supported with driver 621.01 |
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 | Supported |
| Gears of War: E-Day | Supported |
| Xbox PC app installs | Supported |
| Steam and Epic Games | Not yet; Microsoft says “soon” with no date |
| Other games | Still compile shaders locally |
Why this matters: a game developer has to build and ship the precompiled shaders. Having the right GPU isn’t enough, so the benefit arrives one game at a time. If you’re checking whether your PC can run the newest titles, see our Gears of War: E-Day PC requirements post.
Should you update your GeForce driver now?
If you play Modern Warfare 4 or Gears of War: E-Day through the Xbox app, yes. The gain is immediate and costs you nothing. If you mostly play on Steam, the new driver won’t change much today, but it’s a normal Game Ready release you can install on schedule.
Driver updates sometimes cause trouble, as we saw with the Nvidia 616.92 flickering fix. Keep the previous driver’s installer handy in case you need to roll back.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Advanced Shader Delivery?
It’s a Microsoft feature that ships precompiled shaders with a game download, so your PC doesn’t have to build them at first launch. Nvidia added support for it on RTX cards in driver 621.01.
Which Nvidia GPUs support Advanced Shader Delivery?
PC Gamer reports support for RTX 20-series through 50-series cards. Nvidia’s driver notes don’t extend that to older cards.
Does Advanced Shader Delivery work on Steam?
Not yet. It currently works only for compatible games launched through the Xbox PC app. Microsoft says Steam and Epic Games will follow “soon” but hasn’t given a date.
Do I need to turn Advanced Shader Delivery on?
No. Install the 621.01 driver and a supported game from the Xbox app, and it works automatically.
My take: this is the kind of quiet fix that makes PC gaming feel less fiddly. Right now it’s a nice perk for a short list of games, not a reason to rush out and change how you buy. Update the driver, try it on Gears of War: E-Day if you own it, and watch for Steam support, which is when it will matter for most people.
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