This is big news! Linux gamers who have been using Valve’s Proton compatibility tool and running Windows games are in for a treat! Nvidia has announced its collaboration with Valve to get FPS boosts using its proprietary DLSS technology featured on its RTX cards. This will be a huge performance upgrade for Linux gamers.
Nvidia’s DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) technology helps gamers increase performance without compromising image quality. By running games at the lower-than-native resolution, for example, rendering a game at 1080p when your monitor is 4K), and then upscaling the image to native resolution using algorithms, this can be made possible.
There are rumours about Valve working on a handheld gaming device. This makes the scenario even more interesting if you consider the potential of having a Linux-based handheld PC. This could run without a ton of graphics horsepower and yet take on games much above its paygrade using DLSS.
The current revelations
Nvidia hasn’t yet released any statement regarding the Proton-powered games which will be getting DLSS. However, there are actually a surprising number of candidates consisting of around 30 games.
According to an Nvidia spokesperson, the announcement only relates to Windows games running with Proton. Naturally, this leads to many speculations, but the full story can only be painted once the feature is officially released.
Nvidia is yet to announce any dates regarding the release of DLSS to Proton, although Nvidia mentioned that support for Vulkan will come sooner this month and that DirectX support will come later this fall. It is a great initiative by Nvidia to push Linux gaming up to the Windows experience.
