Key Takeaways
1. VKD3D-Proton 3.0 introduces support for AMD FSR 4 upscaling, enhancing compatibility for Proton on Linux gaming platforms.
2. FSR 4 can be simulated on older AMD RDNA 2 and RDNA 3 GPUs using INT8 and Float16 options, allowing more users to access this feature.
3. Valve seeks official driver-level support from AMD for FSR 4 on Steam Machines to improve performance and visuals.
4. The robust Zen 4 CPU in Steam Machines may help achieve higher framerates, but potential performance drops are a concern for 4K visuals at 60 FPS.
5. Native driver support for FSR 4 could give Valve a competitive edge against consoles like the PlayStation 5, especially in ray tracing-enabled games.
VKD3D-Proton, a key component for compatibility in Valve’s SteamOS and other Linux gaming projects, has been updated to version 3.0. This new version introduces support for AMD FSR 4 upscaling, aiming to implement FSR 4 more effectively in Proton.
Interesting New Features
What stands out about this update is that while the standard version only activates the feature on AMD RDNA 4 GPUs or newer, there are options to simulate AMD FSR 4 on graphics cards that support INT8 and Float16. This is similar to the FSR 4 mods previously available, which allowed AMD FSR 4 to work on RDNA 2 and RDNA 3 GPUs, relying on a leaked FSR 4 Int8 DLL. The patch notes mention that the choice not to make this emulation option standard is “over my pay grade.” However, it provides AMD RDNA 2 and RDNA 3 GPU users on SteamOS a way to enable FSR 4, which could have positive implications for both Steam Machines and Steam Decks.
Valve’s Ambitions
One comment that supports the notion that this could lead to AMD FSR 4 being supported on Steam Machines is Valve’s expression to Digital Foundry about wanting official driver-level support from AMD. The workaround for FSR 4 using INT8 on Windows and now Linux comes with a performance cost compared to FSR 3, which is necessary to produce better visuals on older RDNA GPUs.
Performance Considerations
The robust Zen 4 CPU in the Steam Machine should aid in achieving higher framerates with FSR upscaling. However, the potential performance drop may pose a challenge for Valve’s ambition of delivering 4K visuals at 60 FPS for all Steam games. To keep FSR 4 from taxing graphics performance excessively, some level of official support will likely be essential. This concern is magnified when considering the challenges posed by ray tracing in games like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
As testing on a comparable Steam Machine PC build has shown, GPU performance is a significant worry ahead of the Steam Machine’s release. The advantages of SteamOS for gaming, along with the capabilities of Zen 4, could still position Valve to produce a genuine competitor to the PlayStation 5. Since PSSR is only functional on the PlayStation 5 Pro, having native driver support for FSR 4 on Steam Machines could provide Valve with a crucial advantage.
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