Quick answer: Godot 4 debug export taking longer to load than release because shader cache absent? Cache is filtered out of debug exports - manually include via export preset filters.
Debug build first-launch shader compile takes 60s; release version handles it in 5s.
Include cache in debug filter
Export preset > Resources > Filters > Add *.shader_cache. Cache ships in debug.
Or pre-warm cache
Run the game once on the build server; capture the resulting cache; ship.
Document trade-off
Debug exports prioritize debuggability. Shader cache is the cost; if it matters, include explicitly.
“Debug and release exports have different defaults. Understand the trade-offs.”
If shader compile time matters in dev, include the cache. The 60s startup is a real iteration killer.