What is shader compilation and why is it so prevalent now?

Question

With the recent hubbub about The Calisto Protocol stuttering due to rampant “shader compilation”, I was recently reminded that other recent games (like Horizon Zero Dawn) were also known for shader compilation issues.

What is the game doing that makes it different from other games that just open and play without stutter or compilation?

I also don’t remember anyone making a fuss about this for titles 5 years ago.

In: 30

Answer 1

Shader compilation has become more prevalent in recent years because of the increasing complexity and realism of graphics in games and other applications. As graphics have become more detailed and realistic, the shaders used to render them have also become more complex, which means that they require more advanced GPU hardware to execute efficiently. This has led to a greater need for shader compilation, as it allows developers to take advantage of the capabilities of modern GPUs.