Battlefield GPU Shader Cache (Battlefield 2042/cache)
Battlefield stores pre-compiled Frostbite engine GPU shaders. Deleting the cache resolves post-patch stuttering.
Gaming Files
Game saves, shader caches, and leftover mods
Call of Duty Warzone Shader Cache (main/shadercache)
Call of Duty Warzone caches compiled DirectX graphics shaders. Resetting shaders in-game or purging cache is safe.
Citra Nintendo 3DS Emulator Shader Cache (Citra/shaders)
Citra caches compiled PICA200 3DS graphics pipeline shaders. Clearing shader cache is safe.
CryEngine Shader & Asset Build Cache (%LocalAppData%\CryEngine)
CryEngine stores pre-compiled shaders, asset caches, and engine logs in %LocalAppData%\CryEngine. Clearing CryEngine cache is safe.
DuckStation PS1 Emulator Shader Cache (DuckStation/cache)
DuckStation caches pre-compiled Vulkan and Direct3D 11 PlayStation 1 graphics shaders. Deleting shader cache is safe.
EA Desktop Client Download Staging Folder (EA Desktop/Downloads)
The EA Desktop Downloads folder stores temporary patch installer chunks for EA App games. Deleting download staging files is safe.
Epic Games Launcher Manifests (Data/Manifests)
Manifest files (.item) register installed Epic Games titles with the launcher. DO NOT DELETE manually.
Godot Game Engine Shader & Editor Cache (.godot)
Godot 4 game engine caches compiled Vulkan/OpenGL shaders and imported textures in .godot. Clearing Godot cache is safe.
GOG Galaxy Temp Installer Cache (GOG.com/Galaxy/temp)
The GOG Galaxy temp directory stores downloaded offline game installer zips. Deleting temp installer chunks is safe.
The PC Gamer's Storage & Performance Guide: Clear Shader Caches & Launcher Bloat
The ultimate 1,800-word guide for PC gamers and streamers to clear NVIDIA DXCache, AMD Shader Cache, Steam Workshop bloat, and emulator disks.
PCSX2 Emulator Shader Cache (PCSX2/shaders)
PCSX2 caches compiled Vulkan and Direct3D PS2 graphics shaders. Deleting the shader cache is safe.
PPSSPP PSP Emulator Shader Cache (SYSTEM/CACHE)
PPSSPP caches compiled PSP GE graphics shaders. Clearing the shader cache resolves visual rendering artifacts.
RPCS3 PS3 Emulator GPU & SPU Cache (rpcs3/cache)
RPCS3 compiles PlayStation 3 Cell SPU code and Vulkan shaders into local cache files. Deleting cache is safe.
Steam Workshop Downloads Folder (steamapps/workshop/downloads)
The Workshop downloads folder stores temporary mod download chunks. Deleting stale temp downloads is safe.
Ubisoft Connect Staging Download Cache (cache/download)
The Ubisoft Connect cache/download directory holds temporary update installer chunks. Deleting download cache is safe.
Unreal Engine Derived Data Cache (Engine/DerivedDataCache & LocalDDC)
Unreal Engine 5 stores compiled shaders, compressed textures, and Nanite mesh data in DerivedDataCache (DDC). Learn how to clear Unreal DDC safely.
Xenia Xbox 360 Emulator Shader Cache (Xenia/cache)
Xenia Xbox 360 emulator translates microcode shaders to Vulkan and D3D12 pipeline caches. Deleting cache is safe.
Ryujinx & Yuzu Switch Shader Cache (Ryujinx/games)
Nintendo Switch emulators store compiled GPU shader caches. Clearing corrupted shader caches resolves graphical artifacts.
AMD Radeon DxCache Folder (%LocalAppData%\AMD\DxCache)
AMD DxCache stores compiled graphics shaders for Radeon GPUs. Deleting it is safe and fixes game stuttering, crashes, or visual artifacts.
Battle.net Cache & Agent Folders (%ProgramData%\Battle.net)
Battle.net Agent and Cache folders store launcher data and update patches. Deleting them is safe and resolves Blizzard launcher update stuck errors.
CurseForge & Overwolf Modpack Cache Folders
CurseForge cache stores downloaded modpack zips, Overwolf logs, and app caches. Deleting the cache is safe and recovers lost space.
DirectX Shader Cache
The DirectX Shader Cache stores compiled graphics shaders created by Windows. Clearing it via Disk Cleanup is safe and frees up storage space.
EA App & Origin Cache Folders (%ProgramData%\EA Desktop)
EA App / Origin Cache stores launcher data, installer patches, and web cache. Deleting EA App cache is safe and fixes launcher download stuck bugs.
FiveM GTA 5 Asset Cache Folder (%LocalAppData%\FiveM\FiveM.app\data\cache)
FiveM cache stores downloaded GTA 5 RP server scripts, custom cars, map assets, and textures. Deleting FiveM cache is safe and fixes crashing.
Genshin Impact & HoYoverse Output Logs (%LocalAppData%Low\miHoYo)
Genshin Impact and HoYoverse output_log.txt files record gaming diagnostics and crash dumps. Deleting Genshin log files is 100% safe.
GOG Galaxy Launcher Cache Folder (%ProgramData%\GOG.com\Galaxy)
GOG Galaxy Cache stores game cover art, store banners, and installer patches. Deleting GOG Galaxy cache is safe and fixes download glitches.
Minecraft Logs & Crash Reports (.minecraft/logs)
The .minecraft/logs and crash-reports folders store game log archives and crash dumps. Deleting them is safe and won't affect world saves.
Mod Organizer 2 Downloads & Overwrite Folders (MO2)
Mod Organizer 2 (MO2) downloads and overwrite folders store mod archives and generated log caches. Deleting old downloads is 100% safe.
Mod Organizer 2 Overwrite & Logs Folders (MO2)
The MO2 overwrite folder stores newly generated BodySlide meshes, FNIS/Nemesis outputs, and log files. Clearing log files is safe.
Microsoft Flight Simulator Community & Packages Folders
The Community folder stores custom aircraft, liveries, and scenery add-ons for MSFS. Exercise caution when deleting custom scenery packages.
Nexus Mods Vortex Temp & Download Cache Folders
Vortex temp and downloads folders store downloaded mod archives for games like Skyrim and Fallout. Deleting mod temp files is safe.
NVIDIA Shader Cache (DXCache & GLCache)
NVIDIA DXCache and GLCache store pre-compiled graphics shaders. Deleting them is safe and fixes game stuttering or texture corruption issues.
Riot Games Logs & Crash Dumps (VALORANT & League of Legends)
Riot Games log folders store diagnostic logs and Vanguard anticheat dumps for Valorant and League. Deleting log files is safe.
Roblox Logs & HTTP Cache Folders (%LocalAppData%\Roblox\logs)
Roblox logs and http cache store game logs, mesh assets, and texture caches. Deleting Roblox cache is safe and fixes Roblox lag.
AMD Radeon Shader Cache Folder (%LocalAppData%\AMD\DxCache)
The AMD DxCache folder stores pre-compiled DirectX 11, 12, and Vulkan GPU shaders for AMD Radeon graphics cards. Clearing DxCache is safe.
Escape from Tarkov BSG Launcher Cache (%LocalAppData%\BSG Launcher\Temp)
BSG Launcher Temp folder stores leftover update patches and log files for Escape from Tarkov. Clearing BSG Launcher cache is 100% safe.
Ubisoft Connect Cache & Savegame Backup Folders
Ubisoft Connect cache stores launcher web assets and avatar thumbnails. Deleting the cache folder is safe and resolves Ubisoft Connect login errors.
Unreal Engine DerivedDataCache Folder (DDC)
DerivedDataCache stores compiled shaders, textures, and assets for Unreal Engine 4 & 5. Deleting DDC is safe and reclaims tens of gigabytes.
VRChat World & Avatar Cache Folder (%LocalAppData%Low\VRChat\VRChat\Cache)
The VRChat Cache folder stores downloaded 3D worlds and custom avatar assets. Deleting VRChat cache is safe and fixes loading freezes.
Is It Safe to Delete Epic Games VaultCache?
The Epic Games VaultCache stores duplicate copies of game installation files. It is completely safe to empty to reclaim massive amounts of disk space.
Steam shadercache
Pre-compiled graphics shaders for Steam games. Safe to delete, but games may stutter the next time you play them.