diff --git a/tests/shaders/runtime_test_discovery.h b/tests/shaders/runtime_test_discovery.h
index ed593e1b41..88a4cba784 100644
--- a/tests/shaders/runtime_test_discovery.h
+++ b/tests/shaders/runtime_test_discovery.h
@@ -194,28 +194,54 @@ namespace HLSLTestDiscovery
 	inline bool runTest(const TestFunction& test, std::string& errorMsg)
 	{
 		try {
-			stf::ShaderTestFixture fixture(ShaderTest::GetFixtureDesc());
-			auto shaderDir = (ShaderTest::GetExecutableDirectory() / "Shaders").wstring();
-
-			auto result = fixture.RunTest(stf::ShaderTestFixture::RuntimeTestDesc{
-				.CompilationEnv{ .Source = std::filesystem::path(test.filePath),
-					.CompilationFlags = { L"-I", shaderDir } },
-				.TestName = test.name,
-				.ThreadGroupCount{ 1, 1, 1 } });
-
-			if (!result) {
-				// Extract detailed error information from the result
-				// This includes line numbers, thread IDs, and actual/expected values
-				std::ostringstream oss;
-				oss << result;
-				errorMsg = oss.str();
-
-				// Also print to stdout for immediate visibility during test runs
-				std::cout << "\n"
-						  << errorMsg << "\n";
-				return false;
+			auto runWithDevice = [&test, &errorMsg](const stf::GPUDevice::EDeviceType deviceType) {
+				stf::ShaderTestFixture fixture(ShaderTest::GetFixtureDesc(deviceType));
+				auto shaderDir = (ShaderTest::GetExecutableDirectory() / "Shaders").wstring();
+
+				auto result = fixture.RunTest(stf::ShaderTestFixture::RuntimeTestDesc{
+					.CompilationEnv{ .Source = std::filesystem::path(test.filePath),
+						.CompilationFlags = { L"-I", shaderDir } },
+					.TestName = test.name,
+					.ThreadGroupCount{ 1, 1, 1 } });
+
+				if (!result) {
+					// Extract detailed error information from the result
+					// This includes line numbers, thread IDs, and actual/expected values
+					std::ostringstream oss;
+					oss << result;
+					errorMsg = oss.str();
+
+					// Also print to stdout for immediate visibility during test runs
+					std::cout << "\n"
+							  << errorMsg << "\n";
+					return false;
+				}
+
+				return true;
+			};
+
+			if (ShaderTest::GetPreferredDevice() == ShaderTest::EPreferredDevice::Hardware) {
+				return runWithDevice(stf::GPUDevice::EDeviceType::Hardware);
+			}
+
+			if (ShaderTest::GetPreferredDevice() == ShaderTest::EPreferredDevice::Software) {
+				return runWithDevice(stf::GPUDevice::EDeviceType::Software);
+			}
+
+			try {
+				const bool hardwareResult = runWithDevice(stf::GPUDevice::EDeviceType::Hardware);
+				ShaderTest::SetPreferredDevice(ShaderTest::EPreferredDevice::Hardware);
+				return hardwareResult;
+			} catch (const stf::HrException& e) {
+				if (e.Error() == E_INVALIDARG) {
+					std::cout << "\n[ShaderTests] Hardware D3D12 path returned E_INVALIDARG; retrying with software WARP device.\n";
+					const bool softwareResult = runWithDevice(stf::GPUDevice::EDeviceType::Software);
+					ShaderTest::SetPreferredDevice(ShaderTest::EPreferredDevice::Software);
+					return softwareResult;
+				} else {
+					throw;
+				}
 			}
-			return true;
 		} catch (const std::exception& e) {
 			errorMsg = e.what();
 			std::cout << "\nException: " << errorMsg << "\n";
diff --git a/tests/shaders/test_common.h b/tests/shaders/test_common.h
index 78f4f5d45c..81f5c8ebe7 100644
--- a/tests/shaders/test_common.h
+++ b/tests/shaders/test_common.h
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 
 #include <Framework/ShaderTestFixture.h>
 #include <filesystem>
+#include <stdexcept>
+#include <vector>
 
 #ifdef _WIN32
 #	include <windows.h>
@@ -10,6 +12,50 @@
 
 namespace ShaderTest
 {
+	enum class EPreferredDevice
+	{
+		Undecided,
+		Hardware,
+		Software
+	};
+
+	inline EPreferredDevice& GetPreferredDeviceState()
+	{
+		static EPreferredDevice preferredDevice = EPreferredDevice::Undecided;
+		return preferredDevice;
+	}
+
+	inline void SetPreferredDevice(const EPreferredDevice preferredDevice)
+	{
+		GetPreferredDeviceState() = preferredDevice;
+	}
+
+	inline EPreferredDevice GetPreferredDevice()
+	{
+		return GetPreferredDeviceState();
+	}
+
+	inline stf::GPUDevice::EDeviceType ToGPUDeviceType(const EPreferredDevice preferredDevice)
+	{
+		if (preferredDevice == EPreferredDevice::Software) {
+			return stf::GPUDevice::EDeviceType::Software;
+		}
+
+		return stf::GPUDevice::EDeviceType::Hardware;
+	}
+
+	inline stf::GPUDevice::EDeviceType GetPreferredGPUDeviceType()
+	{
+		const EPreferredDevice preferredDevice = GetPreferredDevice();
+		if (preferredDevice == EPreferredDevice::Undecided) {
+			throw std::logic_error(
+				"Preferred GPU device is undecided. Call ShaderTest::SetPreferredDevice(...) "
+				"or use ShaderTest::GetFixtureDesc(deviceType) with an explicit device.");
+		}
+
+		return ToGPUDeviceType(preferredDevice);
+	}
+
 	/// Get the directory containing the test executable
 	/// This is portable across different working directories and drive letters
 	inline std::filesystem::path GetExecutableDirectory()
@@ -52,15 +98,21 @@ namespace ShaderTest
 		};
 	}
 
-	/// Get standard fixture description for hardware testing
-	inline stf::ShaderTestFixture::FixtureDesc GetFixtureDesc()
+	/// Get fixture description for an explicitly selected GPU device type
+	inline stf::ShaderTestFixture::FixtureDesc GetFixtureDesc(const stf::GPUDevice::EDeviceType deviceType)
 	{
 		return stf::ShaderTestFixture::FixtureDesc{
 			.Mappings = GetShaderDirectoryMappings(),
 			.GPUDeviceParams{
-				.DebugLevel = stf::GPUDevice::EDebugLevel::Off,       // Disable debug layer (may conflict with some drivers)
-				.DeviceType = stf::GPUDevice::EDeviceType::Hardware,  // Use real GPU instead of WARP
+				.DebugLevel = stf::GPUDevice::EDebugLevel::Off,  // Disable debug layer (may conflict with some drivers)
+				.DeviceType = deviceType,
 				.EnableGPUCapture = false }
 		};
 	}
+
+	/// Get fixture description using the shared preferred device selection
+	inline stf::ShaderTestFixture::FixtureDesc GetFixtureDesc()
+	{
+		return GetFixtureDesc(GetPreferredGPUDeviceType());
+	}
 }
diff --git a/tests/shaders/test_helpers_unified.h b/tests/shaders/test_helpers_unified.h
index 16a03a8425..f03e952b95 100644
--- a/tests/shaders/test_helpers_unified.h
+++ b/tests/shaders/test_helpers_unified.h
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@
 #define SHADER_TEST(test_name, tags, shader_path, hlsl_function, x, y, z)              \
 	TEST_CASE(test_name, tags)                                                         \
 	{                                                                                  \
-		stf::ShaderTestFixture fixture(ShaderTest::GetFixtureDesc());                  \
+		stf::ShaderTestFixture fixture(                                                \
+			ShaderTest::GetFixtureDesc(stf::GPUDevice::EDeviceType::Hardware));        \
 		auto shaderDir = (ShaderTest::GetExecutableDirectory() / "Shaders").wstring(); \
 		auto result = fixture.RunTest(stf::ShaderTestFixture::RuntimeTestDesc{         \
 			.CompilationEnv{ .Source = std::filesystem::path(shader_path),             \
@@ -87,7 +88,7 @@ inline void GenerateShaderTests(const char* shaderPath, const ShaderTestEntry (&
 	for (const auto& entry : entries) {
 		DYNAMIC_SECTION(entry.testName)
 		{
-			stf::ShaderTestFixture fixture(ShaderTest::GetFixtureDesc());
+			stf::ShaderTestFixture fixture(ShaderTest::GetFixtureDesc(stf::GPUDevice::EDeviceType::Hardware));
 			auto result = fixture.RunTest(stf::ShaderTestFixture::RuntimeTestDesc{
 				.CompilationEnv{ .Source = std::filesystem::path(shaderPath),
 					.CompilationFlags = { L"-I", shaderDir } },