Unreal Engine 5.8 adds Microsoft Advanced Shader Delivery support

Epic Games has documented DirectX 12 Advanced Shader Delivery integration in Unreal Engine 5.8. A new ASD Tool generates a State Object Database from a cooked Windows Direct3D12 build, letting storefronts precompile shaders for specific GPUs and drivers before download to cut shader compilation stutter.

• ASD Tool builds an SODB from a cooked Direct3D12 build for storefronts
• Shaders are precompiled for specific GPUs and drivers, not on the player's PC
• Epic Games Store support is targeted for early 2027
• Ray tracing PSOs are unsupported and older drivers may not benefit