Use the Vulkan renderer where the game supports it (only engines with a Vulkan backend — Source 2, id Tech 6/7, UE4)
Effect
Forces the Vulkan rendering backend instead of DirectX or OpenGL. Only has an effect in engines with a Vulkan path; ignored elsewhere.
Display
PCGamingWikiAdded Jun 27, 2026Last checked Sep 27, 2026Also documented for this game on ProtonDB · checked Nov 9, 2026
Safe
DXVK_ASYNC=1 %command%Copy
Enable asynchronous pipeline compilation in DXVK builds patched with dxvk-async
Proton-Deck
ProtonDBAdded Jul 19, 2026Last checked Sep 27, 2026Also documented for this game on ProtonDB · checked Nov 9, 2026
Safe
MANGOHUD=1Copy
Show the MangoHud performance overlay (Linux)
Effect
Draws FPS, frame timing and CPU/GPU load over Vulkan and OpenGL games. MangoHud runs the game, so %command% is what it runs.
Example
mangohud %command%
Proton-Deck
MangoHudAdded Nov 9, 2026Also documented for this game on ProtonDB · checked Nov 9, 2026
Safe
PROTON_ENABLE_WAYLAND=1 %command%Copy
Use Wine's experimental Wayland driver instead of the default X11 driver, in GE-Proton and Proton-CachyOS (Valve's Proton does not include it)
Proton-Deck
ProtonDBAdded Nov 13, 2026Last checked Nov 13, 2026Also documented for this game on ProtonDB · checked Nov 13, 2026
Experimental
PROTON_NO_NTSYNC=1 %command%Copy
Do not use the ntsync kernel module for in-process synchronization primitives
Proton-Deck
ProtonDBAdded Nov 13, 2026Last checked Nov 13, 2026Also documented for this game on ProtonDB · checked Nov 13, 2026
Safe
WINE_FULLSCREEN_FSR=1 %command%Copy
Upscale with AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) through GE-Proton's fullscreen hack, in Vulkan games (DXVK and VKD3D-Proton included)
Proton-DeckDisplay
ProtonDBAdded Nov 13, 2026Last checked Nov 13, 2026Also documented for this game on ProtonDB · checked Nov 13, 2026
Safe
gamemoderun %command%Copy
Run the game under Feral GameMode (Linux)
Effect
Applies temporary host optimisations (CPU governor, I/O and process priority) for the game's lifetime, then restores them on exit. GameMode runs the game, so %command% is what it runs.
Proton-Deck
Feral GameModeAdded Jun 29, 2026Last checked Sep 24, 2026Also documented for this game on ProtonDB · checked Nov 9, 2026
Safe
mangohud %command%Copy
Show the MangoHud performance overlay (Linux)
Effect
Draws FPS, frame timing and CPU/GPU load over Vulkan and OpenGL games. MangoHud runs the game, so %command% is what it runs.
Proton-Deck
MangoHudAdded Jun 29, 2026Last checked Sep 24, 2026Also documented for this game on ProtonDB · checked Nov 9, 2026
On the General tab, find the Launch Options field.
Type or paste the option (e.g. -windowed) into the field. To use several at once, separate them with spaces (e.g. -windowed -novid).
Close Properties. Steam saves automatically, and the option applies next time you launch the game.
To remove one, reopen the same field and delete the text. Options are game-specific; an option that helps one game may do nothing (or misbehave) in another.
Worth knowing: a launch option can break a game's rendering, reset local settings, or trip anti-cheat in multiplayer. Read the description first, add one at a time, and treat anything rated above Safe as a deliberate experiment.
