Nvidia in partnership with Valve brings DLSS to Linux via Steam Proton

Nvidia DLSS, or Deep Learning Super Sampling, is also coming to Linux systems through a partnership with Valve, via Steam Proton. Nvidia announced this during Computex 2021. With DLSS, higher frame rates can be achieved with the help of machine learning.

Nvidia is working with Valve to bring DLSS to Linux. With the help of the open source tool Proton from Steam, games that are actually intended for Windows can already be played on Linux systems, supported by the program Wine. Proton will receive support for DLSS, so that Linux gamers can also use the technology.

DLSS is a reconstruction technique from Nvidia that works with the Tensor cores of GeForce RTX video cards. Games are rendered with this technique in a lower resolution and scaled up again to a higher resolution. The missing details are filled in with machine learning. This generally results in framerate gains, without the graphic quality suffering much.

According to Tom’s Hardware, DLSS support is likely to be part of the Linux Steam Client Beta, which Proton is built into, although it could also be added as an optional feature. Nvidia has not provided an explanation of exactly how DLSS should work via Proton, and when DLSS will work on Linux systems. But the company does say that Linux gamers won’t have to wait long. Support for Vulkan games is yet to come this month, and DirectX support is coming in the fall.

The announcement is part of Nvidia’s larger presentation during the computer fair Computex. The company announced the RTX 3080 Ti and 3070 Ti with 12GB and 8GB GDDR6X a day ago. It was also announced that Doom Eternal, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Rainbox Six Siege will receive DLSS support.