How can I use Gamescope on Steam?

General Help
1

I tried using it through Bottles to manage the prefixes but Bottles is straight up having none of it and freezing to the point I have to force quit it. I'm using the apt install of Steam. Also tried compiling gamescope but that didn't go well at all so stuck with the flatpak version.

2

Brave A.I. search engine via Mojeek's offer of alternative search engines proffers:

"Using Gamescope on Ubuntu 22.04

Based on the provided search results, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use Gamescope on Steam on Ubuntu 22.04:

Prerequisites

  1. Install Gamescope: You can install Gamescope from the official repository or from a third-party PPA (Personal Package Archive). For Ubuntu 22.04, you can use the unofficial PPA provided by akdor1154 (GitHub - akdor1154/gamescope-pkg: Gamescope packages for Ubuntu). Add the PPA and install Gamescope using the following commands:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:akdor1154/gamescope-pkg
sudo apt update
sudo apt install gamescope

Configure Gamescope

  1. Create a Gamescope configuration file: Create a file named ~/.config/gamescope/config.json with the following content:
{
  "backend": "x11",
  "resolution": "1920x1080",
  "fps": 60,
  "upscale": "nearest"
}

Adjust the values as needed for your desired resolution, framerate, and upsampling method.

Launch Steam with Gamescope

  1. Create a Steam launch command: Create a file named ~/.local/share/Steam/launch_options.txt with the following content:
%command% --gamescope --config ~/.config/gamescope/config.json

Replace %command% with the actual command to launch your Steam game (e.g., steam steamapps/common/your_game/your_game).

Optional: Enable HDR10 support

  1. Add the --hdr-enabled flag to your Steam launch command:
%command% --gamescope --config ~/.config/gamescope/config.json --hdr-enabled

Launch Steam

  1. Launch Steam as usual.
  2. Select your game and click “Play”.
  3. The game should now run through Gamescope, using the configuration file you created.

Troubleshooting

Additional Tips

  • You can customize Gamescope further by modifying the config.json file or using command-line arguments.
  • If you encounter issues with windowed mode or fullscreen mode, try adjusting the backend setting in the config.json file or using a window manager like KDE Plasma’s KWin.
  • For more information on Gamescope and its features, refer to the official documentation (Home · ValveSoftware/gamescope Wiki · GitHub).

Remember to always follow best practices when installing third-party packages and configuring system settings. If you’re unsure about any step, feel free to ask for clarification."

Be aware that Zorin defaults to Wayland at Login. To change this to xorg (X11), when you select your username at login, a cog appears bottom right of screen. Click on this and change it to "Zorin on xorg".

Please note I don't use Steam for Gaming - I only have it to use ProjectM visualiser - all my GNU/Linux gaming is limited to what GNU/Linux offers via Synaptic Package Manager. Most of my gaming these days is done on PS4 Pro.

3

I did figure out a solution but I figured I would try out what you posted just to see if it worked as well. Turns out I've actually tried using this exact same repository though I installed the deb file from it instead of trying to add it as a ppa. The ppa line provided by the Brave A.I. search engine doesn't seem to work btw. Anyways I installed the deb file and you get a segmentation fault sadly. Here's what did work for me though.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:samoilov-lex/gamescope
sudo apt update
sudo apt install gamescope

I didn't make a config file myself as I just threw it all in the Steam launch options like so.

gamescope -e -f -w 1920 -h 1080 -- %command%

Make sure to include -e in the parameters as I've noticed at least on wayland that mouse inputs don't always seem to pass through properly for whatever reason without it. Not sure how to get the keyboard shortcuts to work either and there's a weird quirk with alt+f4 when trying to use it on gamescope windows. You need to press meta+alt+f4 otherwise it doesn't register.

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