KDE KWin Patches Aiming To Optimize Gaming Latency To Higher Compete With Windows

Open-source developer Jakub Okoński has been engaged on evaluating the gaming latency between Linux and Windows and in flip working to drive some enhancements into KDE’s KWin Wayland compositor so the latency is extra aggressive with the gaming expertise below Microsoft Windows 11.

Jakub has been investigating the gaming latency between Windows 11 and Linux with KDE Plasma 6 utilizing a Teensy micro-controller to measure the click-to-photon latency in appearing as a USB HID mouse and a lightweight sensor in opposition to the monitor.

After confirming decrease show latency whereas gaming on Windows, Jakub explored what was occurring with KDE Plasma 6.6 KWin and has labored out some patches to assist enhance the state of affairs. The patches have but to be submitted for upstream KWin, however Jakub famous:

“The gains in windowed games & apps should be substantial. V-Sync fullscreen games (with direct scanout) should see a benefit of a millisecond or so. Games using VRR, or fullscreen games where tearing is allowed, will generally not see reduced latency from these changes as long as they stay at or below the refresh rate.

These improvements go some of the way to closing the gap between Linux and Windows. There’s about 1.1-1.2 ms gained in the minimums, while the gap between platforms in their best measurements with VRR was somewhere around 4 ms.”

He’s planning to submit these patches for upstream KWin within the coming weeks whereas he additionally has a number of different areas he’s exploring for making for a extra low-latency KDE Plasma Wayland gaming expertise too shifting ahead. Too unhealthy although this work might be too late for the approaching Plasma 6.7 launch.

Those desirous to be taught extra about Jakub’s low-latency Linux gaming campaign can achieve this through this fascinating blog post.