Posted in r/linux_gaming by u/koloved • 203 points and 149 comments
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The original was posted on /r/linux_gaming by /u/koloved on 2024-11-07 12:39:33+00:00.

Hey everyone,

I wanted to open a discussion about the Shader Pre-Caching feature in Steam and whether Valve should consider disabling it by default. For those who may not be familiar, shader pre-caching is designed to improve game performance by downloading and storing pre-compiled shaders, which can help reduce load times and stuttering during gameplay.

  1. Frequent Downloads: A lot of users have noticed that starting Steam often triggers massive shader pre-caching downloads—sometimes between 2-8GB daily—without any actual game updates. This can be quite frustrating and seems unnecessary.
  2. Concerns for New Users: This feature can be particularly confusing for new Linux users who may not understand why they are experiencing so many downloads every day.

Drivers and GPL Support Dates:

  • AMD: Mesa 23.1 was officially released on May 10, 2023.
  • Intel: Mesa 23.3 was officially released on December 2, 2023.
  • NVIDIA: Graphics driver version 520.56.06 was released on October 12, 2022.

Recommendations for Users:

  • Disable Shader Pre-Caching: For those with new drivers above the specified versions, it’s advisable to turn off this feature in the Steam settings under Downloads. This can help reduce the frequency of those large downloads.

Conclusion: While shader pre-caching aims to enhance gaming performance, its current implementation has led to excessive downloads and user frustration. Given these issues, do you think Valve should disable this feature by default? Or do you believe it still has its merits for certain users?

Edit:

In light of the feedback from the community, it’s clear that the Shader Pre-Caching feature in Steam has both its advantages. While the frequent and large downloads can be frustrating, especially for new users and those on limited bandwidth.

the Graphics Pipeline Library (GPL) does not replace Shader Pre-Caching. GPL only benefits DirectX 9-11 games and only if the game precompiles the shaders itself, which is not always the case. For DirectX 12, GPL is only utilized in some edge cases. Meanwhile, Shader Pre-Caching can be used with any game. In fact, caching issues that cause stutters—issues that many users have experienced for years, even on Windows—are often related to DirectX 12 games. This is because DX12 outsources a lot of shader work to game developers, and they don’t always handle it well. Therefore, Pre-Caching remains useful, and there’s no compelling reason to disable it outright; rather, Valve should focus on fixing the issues related to frequent REdownloading.

Several commenters have pointed out the issue of shader pre-caching being bundled with re-encoded videos, which can lead to complications for users relying on official Proton versions. This suggests that Valve might need to consider separating these features to provide users with more control over their downloads.

For those experiencing issues with limited bandwidth, disabling shader pre-caching and opting for Proton GE has been a recommended solution, but this may not be ideal for everyone, particularly newcomers to Linux gaming.