Systems and methods for providing a unified instruction set allow shader programs of different types to use a common instruction set. The unified instruction set provides easy access for new graphics hardware features and faster compile times for shader programs. Programmers may use the unified instruction set to write fragment, vertex, or geometry programs. Functions that use the unified instruction set can be included in shader, vertex, or geometry programs without modification. Existing shader programs may be compiled to produce shader microcode based on the unified instruction set. The shader microcode may then be executed by processing units designed to support the unified instruction set.