[TEST?] Support NVIDIA DLSS and Raytracing

[Arcitec]

Proton recently added support for DLSS and RayTracing, but it needs to be enabled game-by-game with some environment variables, described at the official Proton page:

https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton/#runtime-config-options

And at the VKD3D (DX12 to Vulkan) project:

https://github.com/HansKristian-Work/vkd3d-proton/releases/tag/v2.5

• To enable DLSS: Environment PROTON_ENABLE_NVAPI=1 (article: https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Proton-6.3-7-Plus-DLSS-Exp)
• To enable raytracing: Environment VKD3D_CONFIG=dxr11 for DXR 1.1 or VKD3D_CONFIG=dxr for DXR 1.0, and some games also need a -dx12 or similar launch flag to force the game itself to run as DX12 (examples: https://www.protondb.com/app/870780)

Proposed GUI:

• Per-game settings: "NVIDIA" section: "Enable NVAPI (DLSS)" checkbox.
• Per-game settings: "DirectX12 Raytracing" section: Version dropdown, with None (default), DXR 1.0, DXR 1.1.
• I am unsure how to implement the optional launch flags that some games need (such as Control's -dx12 flag for raytracing).

The raytracing is a universal feature that should work with AMD cards too. DLSS/NVAPI is only for NVIDIA.

Edit: As you can see in the vkd3d-proton release notes I linked to above, they're planning to remove the VKD3D_CONFIG=dxr flag in the future, and only VKD3D_CONFIG=dxr11 OR something entirely different will be required for enabling both DXR 1.0 and 1.1. But that day isn't here yet, so in the meantime, both variable values exist.

[frostworx]

Personally I do not care for that option, but of course would accept a proper PR.

[Continous]

I don't think this is necessary given that NVAPI already has a toggle box, and that vkd3d has the DXR options as a stop-gap solution while they are in active development.

[Arcitec]

@Continous I read carefully through the Game Config page now, and I see it!

Regarding DLSS/NVAPI:

• Proton NVAPI. Checking the source code, I see that this setting enables PROTON_ENABLE_NVAPI=1 environment variable. This tells Proton to load the DXVK-NVAPI DLL file.
• More steps are needed. This is not enough. ;-) See https://github.com/jp7677/dxvk-nvapi#proton.
• PROTON_HIDE_NVIDIA_GPU=0 is required, otherwise Proton will pretend that you have an AMD GPU which means NVAPI is still not used.
• The game itself needs a dxvk.conf with this content: dxgi.nvapiHack = False, which tells DXVK to expose the real NVAPI.dll (the one from DXVK-NVAPI project) instead of a fake/dummy one.
• So to sum it up, SteamTinkerLaunch needs to also add PROTON_HIDE_NVIDIA_GPU=0 when "Proton NVAPI" is enabled in the GUI. And the actual player/user needs to create a dxvk.conf in the game directory and set dxgi.nvapiHack = False.

Regarding game arguments such as "-dx12":

• Looks like it's already doable via the "Use custom command" checkbox and the "Custom command arguments: -dx12". Great!

Regarding VKD3D-Proton's DXR Raytracing:

• First of all, this isn't just NVIDIA code. It's the generic DirectX 12 DXR Raytracing which works on both AMD and NVIDIA. So it's of interest to every gamer except Intel users.
• The DXR 1.0 code seems stable, but has some issues. When it's mature (maybe 1 year from now), they will enable it by default.
• The DXR 1.1 code is not mature at all and will take 2-3 years from now.
• In the meantime there needs to be a way to enable "DirectX 12 DXR Raytracing: None/1.0/1.1" in the STL GUI. Otherwise there's no way for people to play with raytracing yet.
• Raytracing is stable in a lot of games now, and the work is ongoing. So the feature matters.

I have had many deep looks in steamtinkerlaunch's file and in the commit history (to see how features are added) but it confuses the heck out of me, it's a massive file. If it was more approachable I would implement it... :(

[frostworx]

Good research job @Bananaman!
I'll see what I can do to help with implementing it - looking at your summary it looks pretty simple.
Can't tell when I find the time and I'm also not too motivated on working on steamtinkerlaunch currently tbh.
I think though, that implementing DLSS is more fun than refactoring ReShade, so I might start with this one.

Btw, custom command (and arguments) is only required if you want to start a different executable (instead/besides/before/after) the actual game exe. But you can of course also append custom command line options to your regular game exe as well.

[frostworx]

When

• PROTON_ENABLE_NVAPI=1
• PROTON_HIDE_NVIDIA_GPU=0
• a dxvk.conf with dxgi.nvapiHack = False
• (optionally a -dx12 command line argument)
  is everything to get this working, it will probably be ready quickly.

All of above could be even configured automatically, by flipping a (to be added) USE_DLSS option, which in turn could be enabled by simply dropping the corresponding game into a DLSS steam category

steamtinkerlaunch already has support for a dxvk.conf per game:
When a game config is created the commented out option
#STLDXVKCFG="~/.config/steamtinkerlaunch/dxvk/$SteamAppID.conf"
is added automatically.
If this line is commented in and the config file does exist,
steamtinkerlaunch exports
export DXVK_CONFIG_FILE="$STLDXVKCFG"
so dxvk uses it automatically.

When enabling USE_DLSS it should be enough to export the variable to a (bundled) dxvk.conf_
with dxgi.nvapiHack = False
(appending the option to an existing config when DXVK_CONFIG_FILE is already set might be a bonus option, though messing with external config files should not be default then at least)

[frostworx]

added Proton hide Nvidia GPU option

[frostworx]

more changes for DLSS

• added per game option USEDLSS
• added dxvk-no-nvapiHack.conf
• added DLSS steam category config
• with enabled USEDLSS:
  • export DXVK_CONFIG_FILE="$DXDLSSCFG"
  • export PROTON_ENABLE_NVAPI=1
  • export PROTON_HIDE_NVIDIA_GPU=0

Totally untested

[frostworx]

Of course the current DLSS implementation should be tested, ideally by several interested nvidia people.

The vkd3d-proton options are already mostly implemented offline, including a USERAYTRACING option which both sets
VKD3D_CONFIG=dxr11 and also appends "-dx12" to the game command line.
Also added a "Raytracing" Steam Category config.

[frostworx]

upcoming wikis:

DLSS

By enabling USEDLSS in the Game Menu/Game Config
or by simply putting the game into the "DLSS" Steam Category
all options required for DLSS are enabled automatically.

• the bundled /usr/share/steamtinkerlaunch/misc/dxvk-no-nvapiHack.conf, which sets dxgi.nvapiHack = False
  is loaded automatically by DXVK, by pointing the DXVK_CONFIG_FILE to it
• sets PROTON_ENABLE_NVAPI=1
• sets PROTON_HIDE_NVIDIA_GPU=0

Also check Raytracing (works on Nvidia and AMD)

###########

Raytracing

By enabling USERAYTRACING in the Game Menu/Game Config
or by simply putting the game into the "Raytracing" Steam Category
all options required for Raytracing are enabled automatically.

• sets VKD3D_CONFIG=dxr11
• -dx12 is appended automatically to the game command line arguments

Also check Nvidia-only DLSS

############

Vkd3d

steamtinkerlaunch offers all_(?)_ possible vkd3d-proton options in the
Game Menu/Game Config

A Category Menu is available as well

Also check related Raytracing (works on Nvidia and AMD)

[Arcitec]

Hey man! :) That's great progress, wow!

added Proton hide Nvidia GPU option

This should default to 1 (hide) because that's the Proton default. Masking NVIDIA as AMD is the default Wine/Proton setting, to prevent bugs in games that try to use NVIDIA features (mainly NVAPI I think).

So "unhide NVIDIA" should only be done by people who also have enabled NVAPI/DLSS.

Therefore it's important that hiding is done by default, and that unhiding is automatically tied to the "Enable DLSS" option in Steamtinkerlaunch.

more changes for DLSS

All of that looks totally awesome! The new USEDLSS feature does everything correct, even dxvk config! :)

The vkd3d-proton options are already mostly implemented offline, including a USERAYTRACING option which both sets
VKD3D_CONFIG=dxr11 and also appends "-dx12" to the game command line.

I will help test this. But -dx12 is a per-game thing that comes from the game Control. It's not universal for all games. So I don't know if we wanna automate that flag since some games may complain that it's an unknown flag?

wiki

Loooooooks awesooooooooome! :) The -dx12 is still the only thing that may not be right.

[frostworx]

Thanks for the feedback! Of course you're right with the Nvidia GPU default flag - I was in a hurry :)
Will push the new default with the vkd3d stuff (likely tomorrow)

I wondered the same regarding the -dx12 flag, but I doubt that it has a negative effect for games which do not have that option.
If it does, it can still be removed (which would render the USERAYTRACING pretty much useless, though :))

[Arcitec]

@frostworx Sounds great. I will help you test it when that commit is ready. :)

About -dx12, I guess it's harmless, most games just ignore unknown flags. We could do it and then if someone complains in the future that the flag causes a launch error in some game, we'll know then. ^^

I agree that adding the flag is kinda nice because it automates it for games that use that flag. :)

[frostworx]

Just gave it a very quick try with Control.
vkd3d variable and dx12 command line are auto applied correctly, but the game crashes with enabled raytracing.
Radeon RX 6900 XT, but the game has weak performance in 4k as well. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Anyway I think the implementation is ready so far.
More tomorrow (probably) 👋

[frostworx]

just landed
happy testing