How to Fix Hogwarts Legacy Compiling Shaders Issue

Hogwarts Legacy has become one of the biggest launches for Warner Bros. Games on the global platform. The game is prominently making a different player base in the gaming community because it has already sold out more than 12 million units in the first two weeks. As a 2023 action role-playing game, plenty of unfortunate players encounter the Hogwarts Legacy Compiling Shaders Issue on the PC during every single boot.

Although several reports claim it’s normal to compile shaders each time the game boots. If we look at the specific message, it says, “Preparing Shaders… Depending on your hardware, this may take a few minutes. Please wait for the process to complete.” Now, if you’re also one of the victims of such an issue, follow this troubleshooting guide to resolve it. So, without wasting any more time, let’s get into it.

Watch Our Troubleshoot Video:

Our newest video tutorial offers a complete guide on fixing the problem of experiencing the Compiling Shaders Issue while playing Hogwarts Legacy on your PC. Following the step-by-step troubleshooting instructions in the video will give you all the necessary tools to resolve this issue successfully and enjoy uninterrupted gameplay in Hogwarts Legacy.

Watch Video Tutorial

1. Reboot the PC

You should close the Hogwarts Legacy game and reboot the PC to ensure there is no temporary glitch with the system or game. It’ll be useful to restart the system to avoid cache data issues too.

2. Update Hogwarts Legacy

Even an outdated game patch version can trigger several potential gaming device issues that lead to crashes, lags, stutters, CPU/GPU-related issues, and more. It’s recommended to check for the game update periodically and install the latest update whenever available. You can follow the steps below to do the same.

For Steam:

Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
Click on Hogwarts Legacy from the list of installed games on the left pane.
Now, the client will automatically search for the available update.
You’ll see the Update option > click on it if an update is available.
Wait for a couple of minutes or so until the game update completes. [Depends on the storage space and internet connectivity]
Once done, reboot the PC.

For Epic Games Launcher:

Open the Epic Games Launcher > Head over to Library.
Now, click on the three dots icon next to Hogwarts Legacy.
Make sure the Auto Update option is turned on.

3. Verify and Repair Game Files

Corrupted or missing game files may trigger issues with the game launching or running smoothly. Verify the game files and repair them via the Steam or Epic Games Launcher by following the steps below to fix Hogwarts Legacy Not Using GPU easily.

For Steam:

Open the Steam client on the PC and log into the account > Head over to Library.
Right-click on the Hogwarts Legacy game from the left pane.
Click on Properties > Click on the Local Files tab.
Then click on Verify Integrity of game files…
Now, wait for the process to complete and close the Steam client.
Finally, restart the PC to apply changes.

For Epic Games Launcher:

Open the Epic Games Launcher > Go to your Library.
Click on the three dots icon next to Hogwarts Legacy.
Click Verify > Wait for the repair process to be completed.
Once done, reboot the PC to apply changes.

4. Update Graphics Drivers

An outdated or corrupted graphics card driver can trigger multiple game or system performance issues. It’s highly recommended to check the graphics driver update. To do so:

Press the Win+X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
Click on Device Manager from the list > Double-click on Display adapters.
Right-click on the dedicated graphics card that you’re currently using.

Device Manager Update Display Adapter

Click on Update driver > Choose Search automatically for drivers.
If the latest update is available, it’ll automatically download & install the latest version.
Once done, restart the computer to apply changes immediately.

Alternatively, you can manually download the latest graphics driver version and install it on the PC via the official website. Download the graphics driver file respective to your graphics card model and manufacturer. Nvidia graphics card users can update the GeForce Experience app via the Nvidia official site, and AMD graphics card users can visit the AMD website for the same.

5. Have Some Patience and Wait for a While

If the fix given above doesn’t end up working for you, then all you need to do is wait. The truth is, “Preparing Shaders” is just Shader Caching, and it is quite similar to “Compiling Shaders” from COD. The process can take a while, as it happens only once. If you have a fast NVMe M.2 SSD, then the process is going to be faster for you.

It is actually a great way to prevent performance issues once you start playing the game. Shaders are created on the CPU (yes, 100% load), so everything depends on its power. It should take 5–10 minutes during the first run.

6. Clear DirectX Shader Cache

The DirectX Shader Cache stores files that can help in speeding up the load time of the applications. Though DirectX shader cache files can be regenerated, you can try deleting them manually by following the steps below. After deleting, shader cache files can be regenerated again when the system requires it.

Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
Go to System > Select Storage.
Now, click on Temporary Files.
Make sure to uncheck everything and check for the DirectX Shader Cache only.
Click on Remove Files > Reboot the PC.

7. Maximize Streaming PoolSize

You can also try maximizing the streaming pool size inside the engine.ini file by following the steps below to ensure the Hogwarts Legacy game can run fine without waiting for much time.

Head over to the Hogwarts Legacy config file as follows:

C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Hogwarts Legacy\Saved\Config\WindowsNoEditor

Use Notepad to open the file ‘Engine.ini’ > At the bottom of the file, you can try adding the following lines.

[SystemSettings]

r.TextureStreaming=1

r.Streaming.PoolSize=3096

Once added, make sure to save the changes and close the file.
Reboot the PC and run the game again to check for the issue.

Note: For RTX 3060, set pool size to 400 | RTX 3080, set pool size to 3096 | RTX 3090, set pool size to 9000.

8. Reinstall Hogwarts Legacy

If none of the workarounds come in handy for you, try reinstalling the Hogwarts Legacy game to check whether the problem has been fixed or not.

For Steam:

Launch the Steam client on your PC.
Now, go to Library > Right-click on the Hogwarts Legacy game.
Head over to Manage > Select Uninstall.
If prompted, click on Uninstall again and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation process.
Once done, make sure to reboot your computer to apply changes immediately.
Open the Steam client again and install the game again using the existing Steam account.
You’re done. Enjoy!

For Epic Games Launcher:

Open the Epic Games Launcher.
Click on Library > Click on the three dots icon next to the Hogwarts Legacy game.
Now, click on Uninstall > Wait for the game to uninstall, and then reboot the Epic Games Launcher.
Finally, open Epic Games Launcher, and reinstall the Hogwarts Legacy game.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.

How to Fix Hogwarts Legacy Compiling Shaders Issue