Vulkan
Hardware, storefront and ecosystem news for Vulkan.
Latest coverage
How to Install Lossless Scaling LSFG-VK 2.0 on Steam Deck for Smoother, Faster FPS
This guide details how to install Lossless Scaling's LSFG-VK 2.0 on the Steam Deck, a significant update that brings frame generation technology to Linux and SteamOS via Vulkan. Version 2.0 offers improved performance, reduced memory usage, and enhanced compatibility, particularly for AMD-based handhelds, allowing for smoother gameplay by generating additional frames.
Former Old School RuneScape developer sentenced to 150 hours community service for in-game gold theft
A former Jagex developer, Andrew Lakeman, has been sentenced to 150 hours of community service and a suspended prison sentence for stealing nearly $500,000 worth of in-game gold and items from Old School RuneScape players. The court found him guilty of theft, emphasizing that virtual theft is prosecutable. Separately, RuneScape is beta testing Vulkan rendering engine support.
NVIDIA driver 610.43.02 arrives for Linux with Vulkan upgrades, DRM colour pipeline API support
NVIDIA has released driver version 610.43.02 for Linux, introducing new Vulkan extensions and support for the DRM color pipeline API. This update includes performance improvements for Starfield and fixes a regression in Doom: The Dark Ages. The driver also adds support for mmap on DMABUF file descriptors and FP16 EGL framebuffer configurations on Wayland.
Darksiders Warmastered Edition gets Vulkan rendering, improved Steam Input support and more
THQ Nordic has released a significant update for Darksiders Warmastered Edition on PC, introducing Vulkan rendering and improved Steam Input support. The update also includes a photo mode, motion-aiming capabilities, and various bug fixes, enhancing the 2016 remaster.
'This game is extremely broken': The dev of VKD3D-Proton, software for running Direct3D 12 games on Linux, isn't enjoying Forza Horizon 6 very much
The developer of VKD3D-Proton, Hans-Kristian Arntzen, has identified and submitted fixes for issues causing Forza Horizon 6 to perform poorly on Linux. While the game runs well on Windows PCs, Linux gamers have reported significant problems, with Arntzen's work translating Direct3D 12 to Vulkan being key to resolving these glitches. Nvidia has also acknowledged issues and plans a driver release, while Valve's involvement with Steam Deck verification suggests ongoing support for the game on the platform.
Sunshine game streaming tool adds Vulkan encoding plus XDG, Pipewire, and KWin direct screencast capture
The game streaming tool Sunshine has received a significant update, introducing Vulkan encoding and direct screencast capture support for Linux via XDG, Pipewire, and KWin. This new version also includes security fixes and adds features like network interface binding, ARM64 support for Windows, and macOS audio capture.
Mesa 26.1.0 released bringing lots of Linux graphics driver enhancements
Mesa 26.1.0 has been released, bringing significant enhancements to open-source graphics drivers for Linux, including upgraded Vulkan support and performance improvements. The update introduces new features and extensions across various drivers for Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA hardware, with some changes impacting virtual machine environments and specific GPU architectures.
VKD3D-Proton 3.0.1 brings many Linux gaming enhancements for Direct3D 12 via Vulkan
VKD3D-Proton version 3.0.1 has been released, offering significant enhancements for running Direct3D 12 games on Linux via Vulkan. This update includes fixes and improvements for various titles like Death Stranding 2 and Crimson Desert, experimental support for D3D12 view instancing, and performance optimizations, particularly for mobile chips. This release is noted as likely the last before support for VK_EXT_descriptor_heap is integrated.
NVIDIA 580.159.03 driver released for Linux with some essential fixes
NVIDIA has released version 580.159.03 of its graphics driver for Linux, which includes several essential fixes. This older driver branch is necessary for users with older NVIDIA GPUs, as the newer 595 series has dropped support for generations like Maxwell, Pascal, and Volta. Key improvements include better handling of low video memory to prevent Wayland freezes and fixes for various display and VRR issues.
Open source RTS game Warzone 2100 version 4.7 brings major changes
The open-source real-time strategy game Warzone 2100 has received a major update, version 4.7, dubbed the 'Legacy & Lobby Update'. This release introduces significant improvements to Vulkan support, enhanced shadows, a new soundtrack, and a campaign balance mod. The most notable addition is a revamped lobby system for online play, featuring easier game joining via Game IDs, improved connection stability, IPv4 and IPv6 hosting support, and expanded host options for security and customization.
A future Wine release could use Zink to run OpenGL via Vulkan
A new Wine merge request proposes integrating Zink, an OpenGL implementation over Vulkan, to potentially improve compatibility and performance. This change, developed by CodeWeavers, has already shown success with Steam and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
NVIDIA driver 595.58.03 released as the big new recommended stable driver for Linux
NVIDIA has released driver version 595.58.03 as the latest recommended stable driver for Linux users. This update includes new features like the VK_EXT_descriptor_heap Vulkan extension, which may improve performance for Windows games played via Proton. The release also incorporates numerous bug fixes addressing issues with compositors, display wake-up, kernel crashes, and VRR flickering.
D7VK version 1.5 brings Direct3D 3 support via Vulkan on Linux
The D7VK project has released version 1.5, adding support for Direct3D 3 via Vulkan on Linux, bringing the total supported Direct3D versions to 3, 5, 6, and 7 for use with Wine and Proton. This update includes significant improvements and fixes for various games, such as implementing execute buffers and back buffer/depth write backs, which resolve issues in titles like Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire and SimCity 4.
NVIDIA 580.142 released for Linux - the new recommended driver
NVIDIA has released driver version 580.142 for Linux as the latest recommended stable driver. This update includes fixes for issues related to adaptive sync displays with USB-C-to-HDMI adapters, Vulkan swapchains on X11, and mode setting with multiple 4K monitors.
NVIDIA Beta driver 595.45.04 released for Linux - looks to be an exciting one
NVIDIA has released Beta driver version 595.45.04 for Linux, introducing support for new Vulkan extensions like VK_EXT_descriptor_heap, which may improve performance for Windows games running via Proton. The update also includes various bug fixes and improvements for stability and compatibility with technologies like Wayland and X11.
D7VK version 1.4 brings further enhancements for older Direct3D via Vulkan
D7VK version 1.4 has been released, bringing further enhancements for Direct3D 5, 6, and 7 via Vulkan for use with Wine and Proton. This update introduces support for color key transparency, fixing graphical artifacts in numerous older games. It also improves compatibility with legacy DirectDraw, making titles like Plants vs Zombies and Re-Volt playable, and addresses various other rendering and stability issues.
NVIDIA hiring Linux driver engineers to help with Vulkan, Proton and more
NVIDIA is actively hiring Linux driver engineers to improve Linux gaming performance, particularly focusing on Vulkan and Proton titles. The job listings highlight roles involving diagnosing performance bottlenecks and developing high-performance binary translation solutions for x86 emulation on ARM64 platforms.