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Valve continues to improve Linux Vulkan Shader Pre-Caching

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Last updated: 30 May 2020 at 9:13 am UTC

Recently we wrote about a new feature for Linux in the Steam Client Beta, where Steam can now sort out Vulkan shaders before running a game. With the latest build, it gets better.

The idea of it, as a brief reminder, is to prepare all the shaders needed for Vulkan games while you download and / or before you hit Play. This would help to stop constant stuttering seen in some games on Linux, mostly from running Windows games in the Proton compatibility layer, as native / supported Linux games would usually do it themselves. Just another way Valve are trying to get Linux gaming on Steam in all forms into tip-top shape.

Here's what's changed in the latest Steam Beta:

Linux Shader Pre-Caching

  • Added support for merging NVIDIA per-thread cache files after processing new Vulkan pipelines and after a game exits
  • Adjusted core count of background Vulkan pipeline processing to a quarter of logical cores by default
  • Changed processing tasks to idle priority
  • Updated Vulkan layer API version

Want to try out the latest Steam Beta? Go into Settings on Steam and it's on the first section you see:


Steam will then restart to do the update.

Will be great when this is rolled out to everyone, as it's a very clever way to get around the Proton shader stuttering issue using the open source Fossilize library and Vulkan layer.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: Beta, Steam, Update, Vulkan
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About the author -
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly checked on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. You can also follow my personal adventures on Bluesky.
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The feature has been released today!
Corben 2 Jun 2020
Quake Champions runs super smooth™ now. Compared to stuttery mess it used to be on every new map.
I can confirm. It took my PC about half an hour though to get the Vulkan shaders processed. But it was totally worth it, it runs now without any suttery, which is pretty cool!
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