DXVK

DXVK: Vulkan-based translation layer for Direct3D 9/10/11

DXVK is a Vulkan-based translation layer for Direct3D 9/10/11 which allows running 3D applications on Linux using Wine. It provides better game performance and compatibility compared to Wine's built-in Direct3D implementations.

What is DXVK?

DXVK is an open-source Vulkan-based translation layer for Direct3D 9/10/11 that allows running 3D Windows games and applications on Linux through Wine or Proton. By converting Direct3D calls to Vulkan, DXVK can provide significantly better performance and compatibility for games compared to Wine's built-in Direct3D implementations.

DXVK was created by Philip Rebohle in 2018 and has quickly become an essential component for gaming on Linux. It translates Direct3D graphics and compute calls to the Vulkan API which maps much better to modern GPU architectures. This avoids many of the overhead and compatibility issues of Wine's translation from Direct3D to OpenGL.

In many cases, DXVK allows games that were previously unplayable on Linux to run at faster framerates than even on Windows. It is enabled by default in Steam Play's Proton compatibility tool, providing out-of-the-box support for running Windows games on Linux. DXVK continues to be under active development with new features and improved compatibility added frequently.

DXVK Features

Official Links