diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D/DXShader.h b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D/DXShader.h
index 1913322679..877663adc7 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D/DXShader.h
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D/DXShader.h
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@ public:
   DXShader(ShaderStage stage, BinaryData bytecode, ID3D11DeviceChild* shader);
   ~DXShader() override;
 
-  const BinaryData& GetByteCode() const { return m_bytecode; }
-
   ID3D11VertexShader* GetD3DVertexShader() const;
   ID3D11GeometryShader* GetD3DGeometryShader() const;
   ID3D11PixelShader* GetD3DPixelShader() const;
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D/Render.cpp b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D/Render.cpp
index c37871b5fb..e058bd1c66 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D/Render.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D/Render.cpp
@@ -115,11 +115,11 @@ std::unique_ptr<AbstractFramebuffer> Renderer::CreateFramebuffer(AbstractTexture
 std::unique_ptr<AbstractShader> Renderer::CreateShaderFromSource(ShaderStage stage,
                                                                  std::string_view source)
 {
-  DXShader::BinaryData bytecode;
-  if (!DXShader::CompileShader(D3D::feature_level, &bytecode, stage, source))
+  auto bytecode = DXShader::CompileShader(D3D::feature_level, stage, source);
+  if (!bytecode)
     return nullptr;
 
-  return DXShader::CreateFromBytecode(stage, std::move(bytecode));
+  return DXShader::CreateFromBytecode(stage, std::move(*bytecode));
 }
 
 std::unique_ptr<AbstractShader> Renderer::CreateShaderFromBinary(ShaderStage stage,
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D12/DXShader.cpp b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D12/DXShader.cpp
index bd06559152..856d0e8682 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D12/DXShader.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3D12/DXShader.cpp
@@ -26,11 +26,11 @@ std::unique_ptr<DXShader> DXShader::CreateFromBytecode(ShaderStage stage, Binary
 
 std::unique_ptr<DXShader> DXShader::CreateFromSource(ShaderStage stage, std::string_view source)
 {
-  BinaryData bytecode;
-  if (!CompileShader(g_dx_context->GetFeatureLevel(), &bytecode, stage, source))
+  auto bytecode = CompileShader(g_dx_context->GetFeatureLevel(), stage, source);
+  if (!bytecode)
     return nullptr;
 
-  return CreateFromBytecode(stage, std::move(bytecode));
+  return CreateFromBytecode(stage, std::move(*bytecode));
 }
 
 D3D12_SHADER_BYTECODE DXShader::GetD3DByteCode() const
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3DCommon/Shader.cpp b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3DCommon/Shader.cpp
index 268f75370c..3194fd8aa4 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3DCommon/Shader.cpp
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3DCommon/Shader.cpp
@@ -89,8 +89,8 @@ static const char* GetCompileTarget(D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL feature_level, ShaderStage
   }
 }
 
-bool Shader::CompileShader(D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL feature_level, BinaryData* out_bytecode,
-                           ShaderStage stage, std::string_view source)
+std::optional<Shader::BinaryData> Shader::CompileShader(D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL feature_level,
+                                                        ShaderStage stage, std::string_view source)
 {
   static constexpr D3D_SHADER_MACRO macros[] = {{"API_D3D", "1"}, {nullptr, nullptr}};
   const UINT flags = g_ActiveConfig.bEnableValidationLayer ?
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ bool Shader::CompileShader(D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL feature_level, BinaryData* out_byte
 
     PanicAlert("Failed to compile %s:\nDebug info (%s):\n%s", filename.c_str(), target,
                static_cast<const char*>(errors->GetBufferPointer()));
-    return false;
+    return std::nullopt;
   }
 
   if (errors && errors->GetBufferSize() > 0)
@@ -125,16 +125,15 @@ bool Shader::CompileShader(D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL feature_level, BinaryData* out_byte
              static_cast<const char*>(errors->GetBufferPointer()));
   }
 
-  out_bytecode->resize(code->GetBufferSize());
-  std::memcpy(out_bytecode->data(), code->GetBufferPointer(), code->GetBufferSize());
-  return true;
+  return CreateByteCode(code->GetBufferPointer(), code->GetBufferSize());
 }
 
 AbstractShader::BinaryData Shader::CreateByteCode(const void* data, size_t length)
 {
-  BinaryData bytecode(length);
-  std::memcpy(bytecode.data(), data, length);
-  return bytecode;
+  const auto* const begin = static_cast<const u8*>(data);
+  const auto* const end = begin + length;
+
+  return {begin, end};
 }
 
 }  // namespace D3DCommon
diff --git a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3DCommon/Shader.h b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3DCommon/Shader.h
index 2f179c9b0d..08158d6e1e 100644
--- a/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3DCommon/Shader.h
+++ b/Source/Core/VideoBackends/D3DCommon/Shader.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
+#include <optional>
 #include <string_view>
 #include "VideoBackends/D3DCommon/Common.h"
 #include "VideoCommon/AbstractShader.h"
@@ -19,8 +20,8 @@ public:
 
   BinaryData GetBinary() const override;
 
-  static bool CompileShader(D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL feature_level, BinaryData* out_bytecode,
-                            ShaderStage stage, std::string_view source);
+  static std::optional<BinaryData> CompileShader(D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL feature_level, ShaderStage stage,
+                                                 std::string_view source);
 
   static BinaryData CreateByteCode(const void* data, size_t length);