Release notes from DirectXShaderCompiler

DX Compiler Release for September 2026

2026-09-29T16:56:40Z

DXC Release Highlights

This release of the DirectX Shader Compiler (DXC) includes HLSL language updates, SPIR-V backend improvements, compiler correctness and stability fixes, and corrections to the Windows and Linux release packages.

HLSL Language

Updated [unroll(N)] behavior for HLSL 202x so the count acts as a partial-unroll hint rather than limiting loop iterations.
Added the -Whlsl-2026-compat warning group to help identify compatibility issues introduced by HLSL 2026.
Improved diagnostics for invalid resource-containing casts and removed legacy effects syntax from HLSL 202x.

SPIR-V Backend Improvements

Expanded support for inline SPIR-V attributes and globallycoherent resource-heap accesses.
Corrected code generation for buffer-pointer bitfields, raw-buffer alignment, and older SPIR-V versions.
Fixed crashes involving RayQuery type shadowing and static members of constant and texture buffers.

Compiler Quality and Stability

Fixed derivative operations being incorrectly moved into divergent control flow.
Fixed several crashes and assertions involving templates, dynamic resource heaps, and ray-payload member methods.

Release Packaging (Regressions)

Fixed Windows ARM64 import libraries so native ARM64 applications can link against dxcompiler.lib.
Corrected the Linux release archive to contain only shipping files, which includes the expected headers again.

More Details

This DXC release is also available as the Microsoft.Direct3D.DXC NuGet package.

For the complete itemized list of changes and technical details, see ReleaseNotes.md.

Shader Model 6.10 Preview Release (May 2026) - Patch 2

2026-08-12T00:34:34Z

DXC Release Highlights

This is a minor patch release for the May 2026 compiler release.

Compiler Quality and Stability

SPIRV Bug Fixes
- #8609: loop unrolling duplicated RelaxedPrecision decorations
  (KhronosGroup/SPIRV-Tools#6690)
- #8603: MergeBinaryOpSelect produced an OpSelect with a vector result
  type and a scalar condition, only legal in SPIR-V 1.4+
  (KhronosGroup/SPIRV-Tools#6827)

More Details

This DX compiler release is also available as a NuGet package Microsoft.Direct3D.DXC.

For an itemized list of changes, fixes, and technical details, see the full release notes or the commit list:

DX Compiler Release for July 2026

2026-07-29T17:35:31Z

DXC Release Highlights

This release of the DirectX Shader Compiler (DXC) adds a set of HLSL language enhancements, SPIR-V backend improvements, and broad correctness and stability fixes.

HLSL Language

Added auto for C++11-style type deduction (#8452).
Added the [[nodiscard]] attribute (#8462).
Added bit-precise floating-point literal suffixes (#8478).
>> no longer requires surrounding spaces in nested template arguments (#8453).
The volatile keyword is now disallowed (#8391).
groupshared parameter attribute now works on templates (#8217).

SPIR-V Backend Improvements

Added sampler and resource heaps for textures (#8281).
Function parameters can now be decorated with inline SPIR-V (#8103).
Fixed vk::BufferPointer cast methods (#8365).
Fixed layout-rule propagation for ConstantBuffer/TextureBuffer function variable and parameter aliasing (#8244).
Fixed counter handling in a direct return statement (#8215).
Fixed OpSpecConstant for composites (#8278).

Compiler Quality and Stability

Numerous correctness fixes across the HLSL front-end, DXIL, and SPIR-V paths, including GVN/SROA miscompilations, minimum-precision vector handling, and validation improvements for SM 6.9 native vectors.
Built-in HLSL headers are now embedded in the dxcompiler library (#8445), so users no longer need to copy headers alongside the toolchain.
Added -Fre support for the Metal backend to emit Metal Shader Converter reflection JSON (#8159).

More Details

This DX compiler release is also available as a NuGet package Microsoft.Direct3D.DXC.
For an itemized list of changes, fixes, and technical details, see the full release notes:

ReleaseNotes.md

Shader Model 6.10 Preview Release (May 2026) - Patch 1

2026-05-26T19:53:57Z

DXC Release Highlights

This release is a patch release following up on the SM 6.10 preview from last month. It fixes several SM 6.10 preview bugs and adds support for LinAlg VectorAccumulate.

It also includes a number of small tweaks to the language.

Experimental SM 6.10

Added VectorAccumulate to LinAlg Matrix API
Fixed #8433 validator rejects LinAlgMatrix type in DXIL
Fixed #8390 Bias should convert to output type
Fixed #8271 Allow complete set of types in LinAlg intrinsics
Fixed several issues with LinAlg Exec Tests #8420

Features

Support >> in templates instead of requiring > > #8453
Implement auto for type deduction #8452
Implement [[nodiscard]] attribute to warn on unused return values #8462

Bug fixes

Compiler now rejects illegal volatile keyword #8397

Compiler Quality and Stability

Several compiler correctness fixes across HLSL front-end, DXIL, and SPIR-V paths.
Several compiler crash fixes from all areas of the compiler

More Details

This DX compiler release is also available as a NuGet package Microsoft.Direct3D.DXC.

Shader Model 6.10 Preview requires D3D12 Agility SDK 1.720-preview and a hardware driver with appropriate support. Please see https://devblogs.microsoft.com/directx/directx12agility/ for details.

For an itemized list of changes, fixes, and technical details, see the full release notes or the commit list:

DX Compiler Release for Feb 2026 - Patch 1

2026-06-03T22:42:30Z

DXC Release Highlights

This is a minor patch release for the Feb 2026 compiler release.

Compiler Quality and Stability

Introduced new execution tests
Fixed regression for RawVectorBufferLoad/RawVectorBufferStore for min precision types #8274
Fixed min precision miscompilation #8269
Fixed stack overflow in certain debug builds #8227

More Details

This DX compiler release is also available as a NuGet package Microsoft.Direct3D.DXC.

The new DirectX 12 Agility SDK and a hardware driver with appropriate support are required to run shader model 6.9 shaders. Please see https://aka.ms/directx12agility for details.

For an itemized list of changes, fixes, and technical details, see the full release notes or the commit list:

Shader Model 6.10 Preview Release (May 2026)

2026-05-07T00:32:56Z

DXC Release Highlights

This release of the DirectX Shader Compiler (DXC) adds preview support for Shader Model 6.10, along with assorted compiler fixes.

For an overview of the Shader Model 6.10 feature set and motivation, see:

Compiler Quality and Stability

In addition to new feature support, this release delivers:

Several compiler correctness fixes across HLSL front-end, DXIL, and SPIR-V paths.
Several compiler crash fixes from all areas of the compile

Removals

Support for experimental Cooperative Vectors has been fully removed from the compiler

More Details

This DX compiler release is also available as a NuGet package Microsoft.Direct3D.DXC.

Shader Model 6.10 Preview requires D3D12 Agility SDK 1.720-preview and a hardware driver with appropriate support. Please see https://devblogs.microsoft.com/directx/directx12agility/ for details.

For an itemized list of changes, fixes, and technical details, see the full release notes or the commit list:

DX Compiler Release for Feb 2026

2026-02-26T17:49:16Z

DXC Release Highlights

This release of the DirectX Shader Compiler (DXC) adds production support for Shader Model 6.9, along with broad correctness, stability, and SPIR-V backend improvements.

For an overview of the Shader Model 6.9 feature set and motivation, see:

SPIR-V Backend Improvements

This release includes significant SPIR-V backend updates focused on:

Improved layout and ABI correctness, including scalar layout rules and structure layout consistency.
Expanded type system support, including templates and richer pointer-based types.
Better code generation correctness for arithmetic, control flow, and resource access.
Ongoing improvements to debug information emission for SPIR-V targets.

These changes improve interoperability with Vulkan drivers and tooling while aligning behavior more closely with HLSL and DXIL semantics.

Compiler Quality and Stability

In addition to new feature support, this release delivers:

Numerous compiler correctness fixes across HLSL front-end, DXIL, and SPIR-V paths.
Improved handling of edge cases in constant buffers, resources, and control flow.
General stability and reliability improvements when compiling complex shaders.

More Details

This DX compiler release is also available as a NuGet package Microsoft.Direct3D.DXC.

The new DirectX 12 Agility SDK and a hardware driver with appropriate support are required to run shader model 6.9 shaders. Please see https://aka.ms/directx12agility for details.

For an itemized list of changes, fixes, and technical details, see the full release notes:

ReleaseNotes.md

DX Compiler release for May 2025 - Patch 1

2025-07-15T15:58:48Z

This is a Patch Release for the May 2025 DirectX Compiler.

Issue #7510 was reported, where calling sizeof() on a templated type would crash the compiler.
Issue #7508 was reported for the SM6.9 preview, where calling a buffer's Load function with a status would crash the compiler.

Both issues have been root caused and fixed in this patch release.

This DX compiler release is also available as a NuGet package Microsoft.Direct3D.DXC.

What's Changed

Require complete types in some missing places (#7511) by Chris B (@llvm-beanz) in #7511
Fix errors in retrieving and assigning load status parameter (#7513) by Gregory Roth (@pow2clk) #7513

Full Changelog: v1.8.2505...v1.8.2505.1

Versioning Note

This release version is considered v1.8.2505.1, and the commit is tagged as such. However, versioning for binaries and the NuGet package will have a different patch version number. This is expected at this time.

The main dxc executable and dxcompiler.dll have version 1.8.2505.32, and the DXIL.dll and NuGet package have version 1.8.2505.32.

DX Compiler release for May 2025

2025-05-30T17:00:58Z

DX Compiler release for May 2025

This release contains bug fixes, some new SPIR-V features, and a preview of shader model 6.9.

This release includes binaries:

compiler: dxc.exe and dxcompiler.dll on Windows, dxc and libdxcompiler.so on Linux.
validator: dxv.exe and dxil.dll on Windows, dxv and libdxil.so on Linux.
Windows symbols (.pdb files)

Here are some highlights:

Typed buffers (including ROV buffers) no longer accept types other than vectors and scalars. Any other types will produce descriptive errors. This removes support for appropriately sized matrices and structs. Though it worked in some contexts, code generated from such types was unreliable.
- Load and Store operations have been refactored as a consequence. Behavior should be identical, please file issues if discrepancies are observed.
The compiler will now always use the internal validator instead of searching for an external DXIL.dll. The (hidden) -select-validator option has been removed.
SPIR-V: Added vk::BufferPointer, see proposal for more details.
SPIR-V: Implement QuadAny and QuadAll (#7266)

You can now compile shaders to SM 6.9, but this is a preview, so shader hashes will be set to the PREVIEW_BYPASS pattern.
SM 6.9 shaders will only work with AgilitySDK 1.717.0-preview, a supported preview driver, and use of experimental shader models in developer mode.
Preview shaders will not be compatible with the SM 6.9 release, or likely even later versions of the SM 6.9 preview.

SM 6.9 Preview Additions:

Long vectors are allowed in HLSL when targeting shader model 6.9. Vectors up to 1024 elements in length can be loaded from/stored to raw buffers and used in elementwise operations. See the long vector proposal for more details.
HLSL Vectors are still limited to a maximum of 4 elements when used in certain contexts:
- entry function inputs/outputs
- parameter, payload, attribute, and node record types for mesh, raytracing, and node shaders
- constant buffers (cbuffer), texture buffers (tbuffer), textures and typed buffers
- Note: some HLSL elementwise intrinsics do not yet support long vectors in this preview
Native vectors of up to 1024 elements are now present in DXIL. This includes vector llvm instructions, load/store, and various elementwise DXIL operations. This may result in smaller DXIL and potentially other performance improvements. See the dxil vectors proposal for more details.
Cooperative Vector operations, a subset of Linear Algebra (LinAlg). See the cooperative vectors proposal and the HLSL header based API proposal for more details.
- New built-in operations are added for multiplying long vectors with a matrix in a ByteAddressBuffer, optionally with accumulation and bias data, as well as outer product and vector accumulate operations.
- An HLSL header shipped with this release provides a more convenient API for using these built-in operations.
Support for Opacity Micromaps in DXR shaders as well as for RayQuery.
- Unlocks DXR performance improvements using triangle sub-divisions for fast hit/miss detection to reduce the need for anyhit invocations.
Support for Shader Execution Reordering in DXR.
- Introduces MaybeReorderThread() to explicitly specify where and how shader execution coherence can be improved. MaybeReorderThread() can be used in raygeneration shaders.
- HitObject decouples traversal, intersection testing and anyhit shading from closesthit and miss shading for more control and better reordering opportunities. HitObject can be used in raygeneration, closesthit and miss shaders.

This DX compiler release is also available as a NuGet package here

DX Compiler release for February 2025

2025-02-21T22:07:31Z

DX Compiler release for February 2025

This cumulative release contains numerous bug fixes and stability improvements.

This release includes binaries:

compiler: dxc.exe and dxcompiler.dll on Windows, dxc and libdxcompiler.so on Linux.
validator: dxv.exe and dxil.dll on Windows, dxv and libdxil.so on Linux.
Windows symbols (.pdb files)

The validator binaries will no longer be required for "signed" (hashed) shaders when using this release of the compiler, however they will still be loaded and used if found.

Here are some highlights:

The incomplete WaveMatrix implementation has been removed. #6807
DXIL Validator Hash is open sourced. #6846
DXIL container validation for PSV0 part allows any content ordering inside string and semantic index tables. #6859
The and() and or() intrinsics will now accept non-integer parameters by casting them to bools. #7060
Released executables will now expect the filenames associated with the released pdbs. Instead of expecting dxc_full.pdb, dxc.exe will now expect dxc.pdb.

This DX compiler release is also available as a NuGet package here