Shader compilation stutter
What is shader compilation stutter? Why PC games hitch the first time effects appear, why it hits Unreal Engine games, and how pre-compilation helps.
Shader compilation stutter is a hitch that happens when a game compiles a shader, a small graphics program, at the moment it first needs it. PC games must compile shaders for each player’s graphics card, because every PC graphics card is different. Epic’s Unreal Engine documentation describes these hitches, which it ties to pipeline state object (PSO) compilation, and the tools to find them.
Related terms: Frame pacing, Pop-in, Upscaling (DLSS/FSR), Ray tracing.
Engines: Unreal Engine, Unreal Engine.
In our stories: Why big studios are giving up their own game engines, Why PC games stutter and consoles mostly don’t.
Sources
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- What Is Shader Compilation and Why Does It Make PC Games Stutter? — How-To Geek
- PSO Precaching for Unreal Engine — Epic Games