i think if you compare like-for-like (e.g. vulkan native) they have similar performance? if you need compat layers that’s different, but that’s not a nvidia specific overhead.
also, like, if they are using nvidia proprietary drivers there’s nothing they can really do to improve performance. AMD linux driver works so well because it’s open source and some of the main contributors work for Valve. if they aren’t going to use open source nvidia drivers they’d have to kneel before Jensen Huang and beg for a trickle of performance gain 'cause they (steamos) are like a tiny bit of nvidia’s market.
Couldn’t be, right? Installing the official Nvidia driver on steamos can’t be this hard
NVK works with modern GPUs. See this from 2025:
For Valve: no. For users: yes because the system is immutable.
I don’t think gamescope (steamos ui) works with nvidia yet
they said they’re aiming for full performance? maybe they’re working with Nvidia to get Nvidia performance close to Windows
i think if you compare like-for-like (e.g. vulkan native) they have similar performance? if you need compat layers that’s different, but that’s not a nvidia specific overhead.
AMD Proton is closer to their Windows performance when talking about DX11/DX12 games, ray tracing, ai upscaling, VRAM overflow, and stuff like that
also, like, if they are using nvidia proprietary drivers there’s nothing they can really do to improve performance. AMD linux driver works so well because it’s open source and some of the main contributors work for Valve. if they aren’t going to use open source nvidia drivers they’d have to kneel before Jensen Huang and beg for a trickle of performance gain 'cause they (steamos) are like a tiny bit of nvidia’s market.