Table of Contents

Introduction

I have tested SpecialK Mod on Linux for Bayonetta and successfully unlocked FPS of this game. In this pose, I'd like to share how I installed SpecialK Mod on steam on linux.

Screenshot

Disclaimer

I have not yet tested stability and have tested only on Bayonetta. I'm not sure if this will work on other games but anyway share how to. If you try things written below, do it at YOUR OWN RIST.

My System

  • OS: Arch Linux
  • Kernel: Linux 5.7.6-12-tkg-pds (fsync enabled)
  • CPU: Intel Core i7-8700
  • RAM: 16GB
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
  • Graphic Driver: NVIDIA 440.66.17 (proprietary/vulkan dev)
  • DE: none
  • WM: i3-wm
  • Compositor: picom

Prerequisites

  1. Install protontricks to system wide.

  2. Install tkg-version of proton into Steam.

    • I used default proton-tkg.conf and Proton-tkg 5.11.r11.gb6c28187.

    • DXVK version was v1.7.

  3. Set the game to use installed proton-tkg.

    • I'm not sure if necessary, but I disabled steam overlay for the game.

  4. Launch the game once with proton-tkg and check if it work property.

  5. Check if the game is 32-bit or 64-bit.

    • Go to the game directory (~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/[gama-name] by default) and run file [game-name].exe.

    • Then you will see output like Bayonetta.exe: PE32 executable (GUI) Intel 80386, for MS Windows for 32-bit games or NieRAutomata.exe: PE32+ executable (GUI) x86-64, for MS Windows for 64-bit games.

Optionally, you can use MangoHud to check FPS and frametime. I strongly recommend to use MangoHud or DXVK HUD (dxvk's builtin hud) to check game FPS and frametime.

Install SpecialK Mod for the Game

  1. Check steam app-id for the game by protontricks -s [game-name].

    • For example, in case of Bayonetta, run protontricks -s Bayonetta and get app-id as 460790.

  2. Install vcrun2017 and d3dcompiler_47 for the game prefix by protontricks [app-id] vcrun2017 d3dcompiler_47.

    • d3dcompiler_47 may not need for SpecialK, but it would be necessary for the bundled ReShade.

  3. Download SpecialK v0.8.66 (SpecialK_0_8_66.7z) from github repo.

    • NOTE: This is not the latest version. Latest version did not work on linux at least I have tested.
    • NOTE: If you are using AMD GPU, v0.9 series may work.

  4. Extract downloaded file and copy SpecialK64.dll and SpecialK64.pdb (for 64-bit game) or SpecialK32.dll and SpecialK32.pdb (for 32-bit game) into the game directory where [game-name].exe exists. The game directory is ~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common/[game-name] by default.

  5. Rename copied dll file to d3d9.dll or dxgi.dll depending on API used by the game.

    • For example, Bayonetta is 32-bit and using DirectX9, so copy SpecialK32 files and rename SpecialK32.dll to d3d9.dll.

  6. Launch the game once. It will crash soon but necessary to auto-generate .ini file to configure the mod.

  7. Edit d3d9.ini or dxgi.ini file created in the game directory as below:

    • Under [NVIDIA.API] section, set Disable=true.

    • Under [Steam.Log] section, set Silent=true.

    • To unlock FPS, set RefreshRate=0 under [Render.FrameRate] section.

  8. Run the game with FPS/Frametime watcher.

    • If you use MangoHud, set steam launch option like mangohud %command%.

    • If you use DXVK HUD, set steam launch option like DXVK_HUD=full %command%

  9. Then you'll see the game is running under the unlocked FPS.

  10. If frametime is not stable, or shows periodic spikes (this is shown in Bayonetta), make dxvk config file to unlock vsync on DXVK as below:

    • For DirectX9 games: d3d9.presentInterval = 0.

    • For DirectX11 games: dxgi.syncInterval = 0.

      • WARN: DirectX11 games are not tested by the author.

    • Below screenshot is MangoHud of Bayonetta's title scene, without any dxvk configuration. There are periodic spikes in the frametime graph:

  1. Set the steam launch option to load dxvk config file like DXVK_CONFIG_FILE=/path/to/config/file.conf %command% and then launch the game. Hopefully the frametime issue will disappear and the game will be smoothly rendered as below screenshot (compare the frametime graph with the previous screenshot):

  1. (optional) If you'd like to use ReShade, copy PlugIns folder in the extracted SpecialK folder into ~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/[app-id]/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/My Documents/My Mods/SpecialK/ and enable ReShade plugin from the in-game menu of SpecialK. Menu can be opened by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Backspace. Then check ReShade in Plug-Ins -> Unofficial and restart the game.

  2. (optional) If you'd like to use newer ReShade or custom ReShade not bundled with SpecialK, replace ReShade32.dll or ReShade64.dll in the PlugIns/Unofficial/ReShade directory by that version.

Issues

  • SpecialK OSD shows higher FPS than DXVK HUD/MangoHud by twice on Bayonetta (see left-side bottom of the first screenshot). Maybe correct FPS is shown by MangoHud's or DXVK HUD's one.

  • Not measured precisely, but I feel longer loading or stuttering on scene transition than plain version on Bayonetta.

Uninstall

Remove or rename d3d9.dll or dxgi.dll file in the game directory.