PC startup, updates & performance
Why is Phantom Blade Zero compiling shaders again after an update?
Shaders compile on first entry. PC version 1.0302256 changes this process: if ray tracing was previously disabled, the first launch after updating recompiles once. Normal startup then no longer compiles ray-tracing shaders by default.
During compilation
Keep the game in the foreground and let the compilation finish. Backgrounding it reduces CPU priority and may lengthen the process.
Record whether progress continues and whether an error appears. The first compilation after updating is different from a repeated error at every launch.
After enabling ray tracing
In this PC version, enabling ray tracing requires a restart followed by a separate shader compilation. Keep ray-tracing settings consistent when comparing startup behavior.