Microsoft just blitzed PC game load times by 85%, starting with Asus Xbox Ally X

The new Asus Xbox Ally X handheld gaming PC will be one of the first to benefit from a new DirectX feature that promises to speed up your game load times. According to Microsoft, this advanced game tech will use cloud computing to compile your in-game shaders, with the company claiming it reduced initial load times in a recent game by 85%.

With the new Xbox Ally X release date now set for October, we won't have long to wait until we can test out its features, including this one. This Microsoft announcement might seem technical, but it could have a big impact on how quickly complex games load on some of the models in our best handheld guide. These Asus-made handhelds will be the first to test it out, however.

Shader compilation is the process of translating a game's shader code, the small programs that tell your GPU's many stream processors how to handle all sorts of areas in a 3D game, from lighting to geometry, and special effects, into optimized instructions for your specific graphics hardware. It often happens the first time you load a game scene, which is why it can cause stutters or long load times.

This feature looks set to change that. In a recent DirectX Developer blog post, Microsoft explained that, rather than compiling the shader data directly, this new feature, called Advanced Shader Delivery, will precompile the shaders using the cloud and make them available via the Xbox store, and with the game, to reduce load times.

Microsoft's own tests show it improved load times in Avowed, released earlier this year, by 85% using this new tech. The two new Asus handhelds, the Xbox Ally X and non-X, will be the first to gain this game-load boosting feature, but Microsoft suggests it will see wider availability soon.

Microsoft reckons game developers won't need to do anything to make it work, so this could be a game-changer, especially on handhelds where the hardware is the same for everyone. How well it will work on a wide range of graphics cards and gaming PCs, however, remains to be seen.

If you're sick of slow loading times, you'll want to invest in a faster drive for your game storage. Check out our best gaming SSD guide next for a number of solid recommendations to suit any gaming PC.

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