In some cases, the game can get stuck on the preparing shaders loading screen, and even result in crashes. This can happen when your frame rate jumps abnormally, causing the game to crash. In addition, the shader cache size and game config files on your computer can also contribute to the issue. In this article, we will list down a number of methods that you can use to resolve the problem in question.
1. Limit In-Game FPS
The first thing you should do when starting to resolve the issue in question is to limit your in-game frame rate. Your frame rate changes all the time depending on the game environment and a lot more. Abnormal bumps to your FPS can often cause the game to stutter or even crash in some cases. This can happen as the game tries to prepare the shaders, causing it to get stuck or crash. To fix this, you will have to cap the frame rate in the game. Since the game gets stuck on the preparing shaders screen, you can not access the frame limiter in the settings menu of the game. In such a scenario, you can use the graphics driver on your computer to do so. Follow the instructions below for your respective graphics card.
NVIDIA
AMD
If you are using an AMD graphics card, you can limit your FPS quite easily via the AMD Radeon Software. You can also AMD Radeon Chill to achieve the same result. Navigate to Gaming > Graphics and use the Max FPS slider to limit your frame rate.
2. Increase Shader Cache Size (NVIDIA Only)
One of the reasons the issue can occur is when there is not enough space for the game to store the compiled shaders on your computer. The compiled shaders have to be stored on your computer so they can be loaded in the future when you launch the game. Otherwise, the game will have to optimize and compile shaders on every launch which is not a good design. If the shader cache size does not allow for the game to store the compiled shaders, the game can get stuck on the preparing shaders screen. In such a scenario, you will have to increase the shader cache size via the NVIDIA Control Panel. Follow the instructions below to do this:
3. Delete Game Configs and Cached Files
The config and cached files stored by the game on your computer can also cause the game to get stuck on the preparing shaders screen. This can happen when there is an anomaly or corruption in the config or cached files. In such an instance, you will have to delete the game config and cached files from your computer. This will for the game to generate a new copy of the deleted files when you launch it again. To do this, follow the instructions down below:
4. Swap NVIDIA DLSS Version
NVIDIA DLSS is an upscaling and image enhancement technology that is used by various games to improve the textures and overall graphics of the game. These deep learning technologies can often be used in optimizing the shaders of the game for better performance. As such, updating the version of NVIDIA DLSS used by the game on your computer can help you resolve the shaders compilation issue. To do this, you will have to use a third-party utility known as DLSS Swapper which will help you swap the version of DLSS used by Hogwarts Legacy. Follow the instructions below to do this:
