Nvidia Driver 621.01: Use Advanced Shader Delivery

Nvidia’s new GeForce Game Ready Driver 621.01 adds support for Microsoft’s Advanced Shader Delivery in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and Gears of War: E-Day, so you can start playing instead of watching a shader compilation screen. On top of that, one tester reported much lower RAM usage with it installed. Set it up once, and after your next game update you can jump into a match instead of waiting on shaders.

What Changed for You

Nvidia released GeForce Game Ready Driver 621.01, which switches on Microsoft’s Advanced Shader Delivery for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and Gears of War: E-Day. Instead of your PC grinding through shader compilation after you hit play, the work is done ahead of time in the cloud and arrives with your download. According to The Verge, this also removes mid-game just-in-time shader compilation, which cuts CPU spikes and stuttering. PC Gamer reports that journalist Sebastian Castellanos notes considerably lower system RAM usage with the new driver installed.

The feature works on all RTX GPUs, from the 20-series to the 50-series, according to PC Gamer, but only in supported games. You can download driver 621.01 from the NVIDIA app or Nvidia’s website. If you are on AMD, Advanced Shader Delivery is also supported with Adrenalin 26.6.1 or higher, and on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 series with driver version 2026.08.3 or higher, as reported by The Verge.

Hint 1: Start Playing Instead of Waiting on Shaders

The headline change is simple: Advanced Shader Delivery lets you skip the shader compilation screen in Call of Duty, according to The Verge. Nvidia explains that modern games rely on tens of thousands of complex shaders, and those generic files have to be compiled locally into instructions for your exact GPU and driver version, which is a CPU-heavy process that can make you wait up to 30 minutes every time a game launches or updates. With Advanced Shader Delivery, that work happens in the cloud and the finished database comes down with your download. The benefit is time: the first launch after a patch, which is usually the worst one, turns into a normal launch.

For example, patch days are the moment this matters most. Say you get home after a long day, a big Call of Duty update has just dropped, and the old routine was to start the game and then go make dinner while shaders compiled. With this driver in place, you install the update and get into a match instead.

• Download and install GeForce Game Ready Driver 621.01 from Nvidia’s website before you next update either game.
• Let the game download or update through the Xbox PC app, because that is how the precompiled shader database reaches your machine.
• If you still see a shader compilation step, check that you are launching the version tied to that Xbox PC app download, not an old install elsewhere on your drive.

Hint 2: Get the Shader Benefit Even on Steam

You do not have to buy the games from the Microsoft Store to gain from this. According to Nvidia’s Andrew Burnes, as quoted by The Verge, the system is storefront-agnostic, meaning you benefit even when playing games purchased on Steam, as long as the Xbox PC app is installed on your PC. That is the detail most people miss, and it decides whether the feature switches on for a Steam library. Nvidia’s own wording is that when you download or update a supported title, the exact Precompiled Shader Database tailored to your rig is bundled with your download through the Xbox PC app. So the app is the delivery route, not the shop.

For example, if you bought Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 on Steam, you do not need to buy it again from the Microsoft Store. Install the Xbox PC app on the same PC, and the shader work is handled for you.

• Install the Xbox PC app on your Windows PC if it is not already there, and sign in.
• Keep the Xbox PC app installed while you play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 or Gears of War: E-Day, even if you own them on Steam.
• If you bought either game from the Microsoft Store, download and update it through the Xbox PC app as usual.

Hint 3: Cut the Stutter That Hits Mid-Match

Shader compilation does not only happen at launch. The Verge reports that Advanced Shader Delivery also removes mid-game just-in-time shader compilation, reducing stuttering and CPU spikes. Nvidia’s Andrew Burnes describes it as a near-100 percent cache hit rate that wipes out those CPU spikes and frame stutters in titles like Gears of War: E-Day and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. That is the difference between a smooth first session and one where the frame rate dips whenever the game meets something new. You feel it most in the first minutes of a match, when a lot of effects appear at once.

Say you play Gears of War: E-Day and the opening firefight always felt uneven, with the frame rate wobbling as things exploded. With the precompiled shaders in place, that same scene should not be interrupted by compilation work anymore.

• Update both games after installing the driver, so the precompiled shaders match the current build.
• Test with a short session first, in a busy scene rather than an empty menu, to see whether stutters are gone.
• If you still see hitches, check whether the game has been updated since your last launch, because a new build usually means new shader data.

Hint 4: Free Up Memory for the Game Itself

Sebastian Castellanos, who tested the driver, reported that in Gears of War: E-Day his RAM usage was about 7-8 GB lower, according to PC Gamer. He also noted that CPU usage was still relatively high. Less RAM spent on shader data leaves more headroom for everything else you keep running, which is handy if you play with a browser open, a capture tool recording or a chat app in the background. Fewer memory pressure problems also mean fewer chances of a game slowing down because Windows is moving data around.

For example, if you stream or record while you play, the extra memory headroom matters. Say you were closing browser tabs before a session to keep things stable; with lower RAM usage you may not need to strip your setup down as far.

• Before you update, note how much memory the game uses so you have a real baseline to compare against.
• Install driver 621.01 and repeat the same test in the same area of the game for a fair comparison.
• Keep an eye on CPU usage too, since Castellanos reported it was still relatively high even with much lower memory use.

Hint 5: Pick the Right Driver for Your Setup

Advanced Shader Delivery is not an Nvidia exclusive. The Verge reports it is also supported on AMD GPUs with Adrenalin 26.6.1 or higher, and on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 series with driver version 2026.08.3 or higher. So if your gaming PC runs a Radeon card or a Snapdragon X2 laptop, there is a clear minimum version to aim for rather than a new purchase to consider. AMD’s Adrenalin 26.6.1 notes list support across Radeon RX 9070 and 9060 series, RX 7900/7800/7700/7650/7600 series, RX 6900/6800/6700/6600/6500/6400 series and RX 5700/5600/5500/5300 series graphics, plus Radeon RX 7900M/7800M/7600M notebook graphics. Note that the AMD driver does not include support for handheld gaming devices.

Say you have a laptop with a Radeon GPU and you were unsure whether this news applied to you at all. Check your driver version first, because if it is older than Adrenalin 26.6.1, one update is all that separates you from the same skipping behaviour.

• Open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition and check the driver version shown for your graphics product.
• If you are behind, update to Adrenalin 26.6.1 or higher, using the Auto-detect and Install option AMD lists as its preferred download method.
• On a laptop, use the driver your system manufacturer provides if the AMD.com package gives you trouble, since AMD recommends OEM drivers for full support and compatibility.

Hint 6: Turn On the Frame Rate Options After You Update

Once the new driver is in, there are two settings worth visiting in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. Nvidia says DLSS Super Resolution accelerates gameplay and enhances image quality in all modes. On GeForce RTX 40 Series systems, DLSS Frame Generation further boosts frame rates. On GeForce RTX 50 Series systems, you can activate DLSS Dynamic Multi Frame Generation with up to 6X multiplication, which Nvidia describes as an ideal balance between image quality and performance. Separately, NVIDIA Reflex can be enabled on all GeForce RTX systems to further reduce PC latency and make gameplay more responsive.

For example, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launched in full on October 23 and added multiplayer, so before your first match you can spend a couple of minutes in the graphics menu and set these once rather than fiddling with them later.

• Open the graphics settings and make sure DLSS Super Resolution is on, since Nvidia says it works in all modes.
• On an RTX 40 Series or 50 Series card, enable Frame Generation, and on RTX 50 Series look for Dynamic Multi Frame Generation at up to 6X.
• Turn on NVIDIA Reflex as well, since Nvidia says it can be enabled on all GeForce RTX systems to reduce PC latency.

Before vs After: What Gets Easier

Here is how a few everyday parts of PC gaming change once Advanced Shader Delivery is switched on.

What to Watch Out For

The biggest catch is availability. According to PC Gamer, the tech is only available for certain games. The Xbox PC app is part of the deal: The Verge reports the games support Advanced Shader Delivery as long as you download them via that app. Nvidia has also explained why it cannot simply be added to every game, since precompiling every hardware combination on the developer side would mean downloading terabytes of data with each game and update. And the memory figure comes from one player’s report quoted by PC Gamer, so treat the 7-8 GB as his result rather than something Nvidia has measured for you.

Your Next Steps

• Install GeForce Game Ready Driver 621.01 today from Nvidia’s website, or update AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition to 26.6.1 or higher if you are on a Radeon card.
• Install the Xbox PC app, then download or update Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and Gears of War: E-Day through it, or keep it installed if you play them on Steam.
• Go through your graphics settings once and enable DLSS Super Resolution, Frame Generation where your GPU supports it, and NVIDIA Reflex.
• Watch for new game support, since the tech is only available for certain games.

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Sources: Nvidia; AMD; PC Gamer; The Verge.

FAQ: Nvidia Advanced Shader Delivery