The team behind the Direct3D 8, 9, 10, and 11 to Vulkan layer, DXVK, has released version 3.0.1. This latest update follows the recent 3.0 release and focuses on resolving several bugs and rendering regressions that have impacted Windows games running on Linux and SteamOS.

DXVK serves as a core component of Valve's Proton, enabling high-performance gaming on systems like the Steam Deck. Users can either wait for Valve to roll these updates into future Proton versions or perform a manual update to their current Proton installation.

Key Bug Fixes and Improvements

The 3.0.1 release addresses a wide variety of issues ranging from rendering glitches to system-level crashes:

  • Rendering Regressions: Fixed issues affecting various D3D9 titles, specifically Black Mesa, Gothic 3, and GTA IV.
  • Stability: Resolved a crash that occurred when games attempted to unload D3D libraries while the D3D device was still active.
  • Nvidia Driver Fixes: Fixed stuttering issues on 32-bit Nvidia drivers when descriptor heaps were enabled and implemented a workaround for sampler creation failures on Windows-specific Nvidia drivers.
  • Intel Driver Workaround: Resolved a hanging issue on Windows-specific Intel drivers that occurred when graphics pipeline libraries were enabled.
  • Game-Specific Patches: Improvements include a fix for a long-standing lighting issue in Fruit Ninja, a severe performance regression fix for Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, and a fix for water rendering in Total War: Medieval II.

Important Changes to GPU Handling

A significant change in this update is the decision to disable secondary command buffer usage on all desktop GPUs. While this may cause a minor performance impact in games using specific MSAA resolve patterns, the developers noted that this feature was a consistent source of rendering issues and GPU hangs on desktop hardware.

Additionally, users on Intel Alchemist GPUs and older should be aware of a known ANV driver issue that may lead to GPU hangs in D3D9 games. As a temporary workaround, DXVK now defaults to descriptor buffers for these cards, though this may negatively impact performance. Users are strongly advised to keep their graphics drivers updated to the latest available versions to mitigate these issues.