protonscr

007 First Light: vkd3d_create_vk_device fails with VK_ERROR_INITIALIZATION_FAILED (-3) on NVIDIA RTX 5080 (Blackwell) with driver 610.43.02 (broken cooperative matrix capability advertisement)

vkd3dopen Nvidia
HansKristian-Work/vkd3d-proton#3076 · opened 2026-05-30 by GH-A-CC · updated 2026-10-18 · 10 comments · github
GGH-A-CC 2026-05-30 github

This description is largely AI generated as I'm way out of my element here :) - please ask if you need other data to help debugging.

Description

vkd3d_create_vk_device consistently fails with VK_ERROR_INITIALIZATION_FAILED (vr -3)
on an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 (Blackwell) running driver 610.43.02. The failure occurs on
every Proton/VKD3D-Proton version tested and cannot be resolved through any VKD3D_CONFIG
workaround. The game never launches.

Root cause analysis

vulkaninfo reveals that NVIDIA driver 610.43.02 on Blackwell advertises an incoherent
cooperative matrix capability set for the RTX 5080:

  • VkPhysicalDeviceCooperativeMatrixFeaturesKHR::cooperativeMatrix = true
  • VkPhysicalDeviceCooperativeMatrixFeaturesKHR::cooperativeMatrixRobustBufferAccess = false
  • VkPhysicalDeviceCooperativeMatrixPropertiesKHR::cooperativeMatrixSupportedStages:
    COMPUTE_BIT only (1 stage)

This is inconsistent with Blackwell hardware capabilities (SM 10.0 supports full WMMA).
VKD3D-Proton correctly detects the anomaly at feature-query time
(vkd3d_supports_minimum_coopmat_caps: Missing sufficient features to expose WMMA) but
still enables cooperativeMatrix = true in the vkCreateDevice pNext chain because the
feature is advertised as supported. The NVIDIA driver then returns
VK_ERROR_INITIALIZATION_FAILED on its own vkCreateDevice call.

VKD3D-Proton's retry mechanism (which strips VK_NVX_binary_import and
VK_NVX_image_view_handle) does not resolve the failure because the problem is in the
feature pNext chain, not the extension list.

The driver also exposes VK_NV_cooperative_matrix2 and VK_NV_cooperative_vector
(new Blackwell-specific NV extensions), suggesting the cooperative matrix implementation
in 610.43.02 is partially broken for this architecture.

Suggested fix

When vkd3d_supports_minimum_coopmat_caps returns false and
cooperativeMatrixSupportedStages is COMPUTE_BIT only (i.e. the capability set is
clearly degenerate), consider not requesting cooperativeMatrix = true in
vkCreateDevice, mirroring the existing pattern of disabling extensions that cause
device creation to fail.

Workarounds attempted (all unsuccessful)

  • VKD3D_CONFIG=no_upload_hvv
  • VKD3D_CONFIG=no_robustness
  • VKD3D_CONFIG=no_dynamic_rendering
  • MESA_VK_DEVICE_SELECT_FORCE_DEFAULT_DEVICE=1
  • WINEDLLOVERRIDES="sl.interposer=b" (ruled out NVIDIA Streamline as a cause)
  • GE-Proton 10-34 (VKD3D-Proton 3.0.0) — same failure
  • Proton Hotfix hotfix-20260529-fh6 (VKD3D-Proton 3.1.0) — same failure

Software information

  • Game: 007 First Light (Steam App ID 3768760)
  • Proton versions tested: Proton Hotfix hotfix-20260529-fh6, GE-Proton10-34
  • Steam: Flatpak installation

System information

  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 (Blackwell)
  • Driver: 610.43.02
  • Kernel: Linux 7.0.10-201.fc44.x86_64 (Fedora 44)
  • Wine version: wine-staging 10.0 (GE-Proton10-34)
  • VKD3D-Proton version: 3.0.0 (build bd3f5e3d245c3ad) / 3.1.0 (build 110e8bd4ee09c40)

Relevant log excerpt

warn:vkd3d-proton:vkd3d_supports_minimum_coopmat_caps: Missing sufficient features to expose WMMA.
warn:vkd3d-proton:vkd3d_remove_extension: Removing VK_NVX_binary_import extension from the array.
warn:vkd3d-proton:vkd3d_remove_extension: Removing VK_NVX_image_view_handle extension from the array.
warn:vkd3d-proton:vkd3d_create_vk_device: Disabled extensions that can cause Vulkan device creation to fail, retrying.
err:vkd3d-proton:vkd3d_create_vk_device: Failed to create Vulkan device, vr -3.
fixme:vkd3d-proton:hresult_from_vk_result: Unhandled VkResult -3.

steam-3768760-proton-hotfix.log

vulkaninfo.txt

steam-3768760-protonGE10-34.log

GGH-A-CC 2026-06-07 github

This also affects other Glacier engine games it seems - e.g. HITMAN World of Assassination.

All current NVIDIA drivers have the same issue (595.80 and 610.43.02)

SSaancreed 2026-06-08 github

Root cause analysis

[irrelevant]

Suggested fix

[irrelevant]

Sounds to me like loads of hallucinated garbage.

Please add a log made with the following Steam launch options:

PROTON_LOG=1 VKD3D_CONFIG=nodxr VKD3D_DISABLE_EXTENSIONS=VK_NV_optical_flow,VK_NVX_binary_import,VK_NVX_image_view_handle %command%
Mmolisani 2026-06-09 github

PROTON_LOG=1 VKD3D_CONFIG=nodxr VKD3D_DISABLE_EXTENSIONS=VK_NV_optical_flow,VK_NVX_binary_import,VK_NVX_image_view_handle %command%

I had an identical error log and found this issue. Adding those launch options allowed the game to boot and run just as expected. Thank you 🙏

Ssp3Qc 2026-09-05 github

Root cause analysis

[irrelevant]

Suggested fix

[irrelevant]

Sounds to me like loads of hallucinated garbage.

Please add a log made with the following Steam launch options:

PROTON_LOG=1 VKD3D_CONFIG=nodxr VKD3D_DISABLE_EXTENSIONS=VK_NV_optical_flow,VK_NVX_binary_import,VK_NVX_image_view_handle %command%

Lords of the Fallen (2023) was failing to start with the same message: vkd3d_create_vk_device: Failed to create Vulkan device, vr -3.

I did as suggested and the game now starts, thank you. Although this disables some of the DX12 components I think

Ttgiddings 2026-09-16 github

I landed here because I was also having the same issue, also on an Nvidia card. Occurred on all DX12 games, all proton versions. VKD3D_CONFIG=nodxr allowed DX12 games to launch. I did not need to use VKD3D_DISABLE_EXTENSIONS

RTX 3060, Nvidia drivers (version 580.178.04)

SSaancreed 2026-09-16 github

… and still nobody attached the logs I asked for. Y'all have your CUDA setups broken, except I cannot tell why when everyone refuses to let me help them. I give up, you guys are on your own now.

Ttgiddings 2026-09-16 github

@Saancreed

  1. You asked a specific person to provide logs with a specific configuration. We don't know how specific the configuration you specified is to their setup. We don't know if you'd actually agree that the "me too" comments are actually the same issue. And it's just really really weird to give logs in the place of a completely different person with a completely different setup. I wouldn't be surprised to get banned from a repo for doing that
  2. The main reason I gave a "me too" style comment is because you remarked "Sounds to me like loads of hallucinated garbage". I was confirming that there was a real issue to be investigated, despite the unhelpful AI.
  3. The special configuration you wanted logs for was also causing the issue to not happen for people, so I was expecting you to follow up on your request since "it works" logs usually aren't what maintainers are looking for.
  4. I didn't notice the last communication from the issue creator was months ago. I'm probably not the only one who didn't notice. If you want one of us to take over as the model user for the issue, you have to actually ask. Do you want me to? I have the time to.

If people aren't doing what you expect, please try communicating instead of seething in anger for three months

I have attached the proton log from running Talos Principle II with PROTON_LOG=1 VKD3D_CONFIG=nodxr VKD3D_DISABLE_EXTENSIONS=VK_NV_optical_flow,VK_NVX_binary_import,VK_NVX_image_view_handle %command%.

steam-835960.log.zip

Also, after a recent distro update, the minimal workaround is now VKD3D_CONFIG=nodxr VKD3D_DISABLE_EXTENSIONS=VK_NV_optical_flow %command%, instead of just VKD3D_CONFIG=nodxr %command% as it was yesterday.

additional system info:
vulkaninfo.txt

quick-system-info.txt

Ssp3Qc 2026-09-17 github

… and still nobody attached the logs I asked for. Y'all have your CUDA setups broken, except I cannot tell why when everyone refuses to let me help them. I give up, you guys are on your own now.

hello, I will be able to provide logs, but have to wait 1-2 weeks please. Thanks for your patience

Ssp3Qc 2026-09-25 github

Used UMU Launcher + GE Proton + MangoHud to launch the game and provide logging. @Saancreed feel free to take a look if you have a minute. Thanks

nvidia-smi.txt
umu-version.txt
vulkaninfo.txt

LOG1

export UMU_LOG="1"
export PROTON_LOG=1
export WINEDEBUG=-all
export VKD3D_DEBUG=trace
export DXVK_LOG_LEVEL=debug
export LANG="en_US.UTF-8"
export XCOMPOSEFILE="/usr/share/X11/locale/en_US.UTF-8/Compose"

export VKD3D_CONFIG=nodxr
export VKD3D_DISABLE_EXTENSIONS=VK_NV_optical_flow,VK_NVX_binary_import,VK_NVX_image_view_handle

RESULT = WORKING (NO CRASHES)

steam-default.log

LOG2

export UMU_LOG="1"
export PROTON_LOG=1
export WINEDEBUG=-all
export VKD3D_DEBUG=trace
export DXVK_LOG_LEVEL=debug
export LANG="en_US.UTF-8"
export XCOMPOSEFILE="/usr/share/X11/locale/en_US.UTF-8/Compose"

RESULT = Error message "DX12 is not supported on your system. Try running without the -dx12 or -d3d12 command line argument"

steam-default.log

LOG3

export UMU_LOG="1"
export PROTON_LOG=1
export WINEDEBUG=-all
export VKD3D_DEBUG=trace
export DXVK_LOG_LEVEL=debug
export LANG="en_US.UTF-8"
export XCOMPOSEFILE="/usr/share/X11/locale/en_US.UTF-8/Compose"

export VKD3D_CONFIG=nodxr

RESULT = Error message "DX12 is not supported on your system. Try running without the -dx12 or -d3d12 command line argument"

steam-default.log

LOG4

export UMU_LOG="1"
export PROTON_LOG=1
export WINEDEBUG=-all
export VKD3D_DEBUG=trace
export DXVK_LOG_LEVEL=debug
export LANG="en_US.UTF-8"
export XCOMPOSEFILE="/usr/share/X11/locale/en_US.UTF-8/Compose"

export VKD3D_CONFIG=nodxr
export VKD3D_DISABLE_EXTENSIONS=VK_NV_optical_flow

RESULT = WORKING (NO CRASHES)

steam-default.log

HHi5808 2026-10-18 github

Another data point: this hits Jetson Orin / Tegra (Ampere) too, not just desktop Blackwell — and the nodxr workaround from this thread fixes it there.

Setup: Jetson Orin Nano 8GB Dev Kit, JetPack 7.2.1 / L4T r39.2.1, NVIDIA driver 595.78, Vulkan 1.4.329, vkd3d-proton 3.0 (Proton 11 ARM64, native-ARM Steam + FEX).

Failure (DX12 games, e.g. Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection → D3D12CreateDeviceFailed):

vkd3d-proton:vkd3d_create_vk_device: Disabled extensions that can cause Vulkan device creation to fail, retrying.
vkd3d-proton:vkd3d_create_vk_device: Failed to create Vulkan device, vr -3.   (VK_ERROR_INITIALIZATION_FAILED)

with the same tell as above:

vkd3d-proton:vkd3d_supports_minimum_coopmat_caps: Missing sufficient features to expose WMMA.

Every feature vkd3d requests is reported present by vulkaninfo, and DXVK (DX11) creates a device fine on the same driver — so the GPU / base Vulkan path works; the driver is over-advertising cooperative-matrix / RT / optical-flow capabilities it can't actually enable at device creation.

Workaround confirmed working here — GnG:R now boots and runs in DX12:

VKD3D_CONFIG=nodxr VKD3D_DISABLE_EXTENSIONS=VK_NV_optical_flow,VK_NVX_binary_import,VK_NVX_image_view_handle %command%

(Disabling WSI layers / forcing swapchain_maintenance1 off made no difference; it's the coopmat/RT/optical-flow advertisement, exactly as described in this thread.)

So the 595.x Tegra driver line is affected alongside the desktop drivers reported above. Mahalo to everyone in here for tracking this down and posting the fix 🤙

Proton versions

Launch options

Launch lines