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Dragon Age: The Veilguard compiling shaders taking too long – potential fixes

Our ultimate guide to speed it up
Last Updated on November 1, 2024
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard players have been complaining about different issues on PC, such as crashing and high CPU usage. However, one of the most frustrating problems has been the long shader compilation times. For some players, it takes about 10 minutes, while others have waited up to 40 minutes for the process to complete.

Shader compilation basically takes place because shaders need to be converted into a form that the GPU can understand and execute. This process helps ensure smooth and stable overall performance. However, long wait times can be frustrating, but there are a few methods that might be able to help speed things up.

Verifying shaders in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

How to speed up shader compilation in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Here are a few methods that you can try to speed up the process. Do note that the speed will also depend on the type of hardware your PC is equipped with.


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Step

1

Close background applications

When you launch Dragon Age: The Veilguard on your PC, you need to make sure no other application, especially a demanding software, is running alongside it. This is because having multiple applications running at the same time will overburden the system and prevent it from assigning Dragon Age the resources it needs to compile the shaders quickly and properly. Therefore, open the Task Manager, find unnecessary applications, and close them immediately.

Step

2

Update your graphics drivers

AMD, Intel, and Nvidia release new drivers for their GPUs from time to time to make them compatible with the latest games. All three companies also released new drivers prior to the launch of Dragon Age: The Veilguard to make sure users get a smooth experience in it. And if you try to play the game without updating to the latest version, then you’re bound to run into different issues, including long shader compilation times. So, go to the official website of your GPU manufacturer or use the dedicated application, like Nvidia GeForce Experience app or AMD Radeon Software, to download the latest drivers version.

Nvidia latest GPU driver
Nvidia latest GPU driver

Step

3

Temporarily disable your antivirus

The antivirus gets triggered whenever an application starts using a lot of CPU and GPU resources. And since shader compilation is an intense processo, your antivirus can start scanning it while it’s running, slowing it down. So, try disabling your antivirus temporarily to see if that improves the speed. However, make sure to turn the antivirus on right after the process is complete, as keeping it disabled will put your PC at risk.

Abdul is a tech writer and Editor for PC Guide, specializing in all things tech, gaming, and hardware.