DXVK
{{Short description|Graphics API translation layer}}
{{Infobox software
| name = DXVK
| logo =
| screenshot =
| screenshot size =
| caption = DXVK
| author = Philip Rebohle
| developer = DXVK Project
| released = {{Start date and age|{{wikidata|property|P577}}}}
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|P348}}
| latest release date = {{Start date and age|{{wikidata|qualifier|P348|P577}}}}
| latest preview version =
| latest preview date =
| repo = {{GitHub|doitsujin/dxvk|DXVK}}
| programming language = C++
| operating system = OS Independent
| genre =
| license = zlib License
| website = {{URL|https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk}}
}}
DXVK is an open-source translation layer which converts Direct3D 8/9/10/11 calls to Vulkan.{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Ars |date=2018-08-21 |title=Valve's "Steam Play" uses Vulkan to bring more Windows games to Linux |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/08/valves-steam-play-uses-vulkan-to-bring-more-windows-games-to-linux/ |access-date=2023-01-01 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us}}{{Cite web |last=Conway |first=Adam |date=2022-12-23 |title=How Proton on the Steam Deck works |url=https://www.xda-developers.com/how-proton-on-the-steam-deck-works/ |access-date=2023-01-01 |website=XDA Developers |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Chapter 13. WINE |url=https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/wine/ |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=FreeBSD Documentation Portal |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Proven |first=Liam |title=WINE 8.0 and DXVK 2.1 released |url=https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/03/wine_80_dxvk_21/ |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=www.theregister.com |language=en}} It is used by Proton/Steam{{Citation |title=Compatibility tool for Steam Play based on Wine and additional components: ValveSoftware/Proton |date=2019-04-03 |url=https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton |publisher=Valve |access-date=2019-04-03}} for Linux, by Intel Windows drivers,{{Cite web |title=Intel using DXVK (part of Steam Proton) for their Windows Arc GPU DX 9 drivers |url=https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2022/12/intel-using-dxvk-part-of-steam-proton-for-their-windows-arc-gpu-dx-9-drivers/ |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=GamingOnLinux |date=7 December 2022 |language=en}}{{Cite web |last1=Wilson |first1=Jason R. |date=2022-11-01 |title=Intel Arc A750 Shows Boosted Performance In Older Gaming Titles Using Vulkan "DXVK" |url=https://wccftech.com/intel-arc-a750-shows-boosted-performance-in-older-gaming-titles-using-vulkan-dxvk/ |access-date=2023-01-01 |website=Wccftech |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |author1=Aaron Klotz |date=2022-12-08 |title=Intel Arc Driver Optimizations Leverage Valve's DXVK Translator |url=https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-gpu-driver-optimizations-leverage-valves-dxvk-translator |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=Tom's Hardware |language=en}} VirtualBox 7.0,{{Cite web |title=VirtualBox 7.0 is out with their DirectX 11 support using DXVK |url=https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2022/10/virtualbox-70-is-out-with-their-directx-11-support-using-dxvk/ |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=GamingOnLinux |date=11 October 2022 |language=en}} and it can be used to run Direct3D-based games under Windows using Vulkan. DXVK has been confirmed to support over 80% of Direct3D Windows games "near flawlessly".{{Cite web |author1=Aaron Klotz |date=2021-12-21 |title=80 Percent of Steam's Top 100 Games Run 'Nearly Flawlessly' on Linux |url=https://www.tomshardware.com/news/80-percent-of-steam-games-run-on-linux |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=Tom's Hardware |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2023-08-16 |title=It's Now Even Easier To Check How A Game Runs On Steam Deck |url=https://kotaku.com/steam-deck-verified-status-remnant-2-proton-1850743584 |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=Kotaku |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Conway |first=Adam |date=2022-12-06 |title=Need more games to play on your Steam Deck? Check out ProtonDB. |url=https://www.xda-developers.com/steam-deck-protondb/ |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=XDA Developers |language=en}}
History
DXVK was first developed by Philip Rebohle to support Direct3D 11 games only{{Cite web |title=An interview with the developer of DXVK, part of what makes Valve's Steam Play tick |url=https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2018/09/an-interview-with-the-developer-of-dxvk-part-of-what-makes-valves-steam-play-tick/ |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=GamingOnLinux |date=11 September 2018 |language=en}} as a result of poor compatibility and low performance of Wine's Direct3D 11 to OpenGL translation layer.
In 2018, the developer was sponsored by Valve to work on the project full-time in order to advance compatibility of the Linux version of Steam with Windows games.{{Cite web |last=Proven |first=Liam |date=2023-02-03 |title=WINE 8.0 and DXVK 2.1 released |url=https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/03/wine_80_dxvk_21/ |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=The Register |language=en}}
In 2019, DXVK received Direct3D 9 support by merging with d9vk.{{Cite web |title=D9VK Merged Into Upstream DXVK |url=https://www.phoronix.com/news/D9VK-Merges-Into-DXVK |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=www.phoronix.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=D9VK is no more as it merges with DXVK, making DXVK a D3D 9/10/11 to Vulkan layer |url=https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2019/12/d9vk-is-no-more-as-it-merges-with-dxvk-making-dxvk-a-d3d-9-10-11-to-vulkan-layer/ |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=GamingOnLinux |date=16 December 2019 |language=en}}
In November 2022, version 2.0 was released, introducing improvements to Direct3D 9 memory management, shader compilation, state cache, as well as, support for Direct3D 11 feature level 12_1.{{Cite web |last=Meo |first=Francesco De |date=2023-03-06 |title=Hogwarts Legacy Vulkan DXVK 2.1 ASYNC Mod Reduces Texture Loading Stutter |url=https://wccftech.com/hogwarts-legacy-vulkan-dxvk-2-1-async-mod-reduces-texture-loading-stutter/ |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=Wccftech |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Larabel |first=Michael |date=2022-11-10 |title=DXVK 2.0 Released With Many Improvements For Direct3D Over Vulkan |url=https://www.phoronix.com/news/DXVK-2.0-Released |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=www.phoronix.com |language=en}} Vulkan 1.3 support is now required.{{Cite web |title=Driver support |url=https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk/wiki/Driver-support |access-date=2024-07-17 |website=GitHub |language=en}}
Released on January 24, 2023, version 2.1 implemented HDR support and improved quality for certain old games.{{Cite web |title=Release Version 2.1 · doitsujin/dxvk |url=https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk/releases/tag/v2.1 |access-date=2023-10-21 |website=GitHub |language=en}}
Released on May 12, 2023, version 2.2 added D3D11On12{{Citation |title=microsoft/D3D11On12 |date=2024-07-07 |url=https://github.com/microsoft/D3D11On12 |access-date=2024-07-08 |publisher=Microsoft}}{{Cite web |last=stevewhims |date=2021-12-30 |title=Direct3D 11 on 12 - Win32 apps |url=https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/direct3d12/direct3d-11-on-12 |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=learn.microsoft.com |language=en-us}} support.{{Cite web |title=DXVK 2.2 Released With D3D11On12 Support, Many Game Fixes |url=https://www.phoronix.com/news/DXVK-2.2-Released |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=www.phoronix.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Jason R. |date=2023-05-13 |title=DXVK 2.2 Launches With D3D11On12 Support For Unity Engine, Game Fixes & More |url=https://wccftech.com/dxvk-2-2-launches-with-d3d11on12-support-for-unity-engine-game-fixes-more/ |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=Wccftech |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Release Version 2.2 · doitsujin/dxvk |url=https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk/releases/tag/v2.2 |access-date=2023-10-21 |website=GitHub |language=en}}
Released on July 10, 2024, version 2.4 added support for Direct3D 8.{{Cite web |title=Release Version 2.4 · doitsujin/dxvk |url=https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk/releases/tag/v2.4 |access-date=2024-07-10 |website=GitHub |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=DXVK 2.4 Released With Direct3D 8 Support, Native WSI Improvements |url=https://www.phoronix.com/news/DXVK-2.4-Released |access-date=2024-07-21 |website=www.phoronix.com |language=en}}
Released on November 11, 2024, version 2.5 features an overhauled memory and resource management which resulted in VRAM savings up to 1GB in certain games. Direct3D 8 and 9 received support for software cursor.{{Cite web |title=DXVK 2.5 Brings Memory Management Rewrite & Other Improvements |url=https://www.phoronix.com/news/DXVK-2.5-Released |access-date=2024-11-11 |website=www.phoronix.com |language=en}}
Controversies
The use of Wine/DXVK has gotten users banned from some online gaming platforms because these layers have been classified as illegitimate by their anti-cheat systems{{Cite web |title=Linux Gamers Banned in Battlefield V if Using Wine and DXVK |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/gaming/linux-gamers-banned-in-battlefield-v-if-using-wine-and-dxvk/ |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=BleepingComputer |language=en-us}}{{Cite web |title=Some Linux Gamers Using Wine/DXVK To Play Blizzard's Overwatch Banned - Updated |url=https://www.phoronix.com/news/Blizzard-Banning-DXVK-Wine |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=www.phoronix.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Caution: Playing 'Overwatch' On Linux May Get You Banned |url=https://na.alienwarearena.com/ucf/show/1919020/boards/gaming-news/News/caution-playing-overwatch-on-linux-may-get-you-banned |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=North America |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2018-09-14 |title=Some Linux Gamers Using Wine/DXVK To Play Blizzard's Overwatch Banned - Slashdot |url=https://tech.slashdot.org/story/18/09/14/2055209/some-linux-gamers-using-winedxvk-to-play-blizzards-overwatch-banned |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=tech.slashdot.org |language=en}} because game publishers have no way of verifying game integrity for people using Linux{{reference needed|date=May 2025}}.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.protondb.com/ ProtonDB] - a Proton/Wine/DXVK compatibility database
- [https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk DXVK] - GitHub repository
- [https://www.winehq.org/ Wine] - a Win32 compatibility layer for POSIX operating systems
{{Unix–Windows interoperability}}
Category:Cross-platform software
Category:Free software programmed in C++
Category:Linux emulation software
Category:Software using the GNU Lesser General Public License