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Can someone please explain why this is is problematic?

On most 3D APIs, with exception of OpenGL (and its Web variants), shaders are shipped as binaries, so if the driver expects another version that game won't play.

I assume they can't upgrade to more recent LLVM versions, as the 3.7 bitcode is now found in a ton of published games. If they move to, say, 3.8, they need a LLVM 3.7 to 3.8 bitcode translator.

Basically, microsoft published someone else's unstable, unsupported API.

Apple does the same with LLVM bitcode for watchOS, but apparently Microsoft doesn't want to control the whole stack.

> they need a LLVM 3.7 to 3.8 bitcode translator.

LLVM IR provides upwards compatibility, that’s not what the issue is.

The issue is rather having your game binaries not work at all on older OS/driver releases when built with a newer LLVM version.

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