Most games aren't using my discrete GPU or are crashing when trying to use it. Some games are using it (or at least seem to be? Most of my game library is too big install over my slow network connection, and the games small enough to download quickly could easily be run on integrated graphics, so I'm not entirely sure. nvidia-smi reports that the games that work are using it, but I'm still not entirely sure. The "working" games are Bomb Rush Cyberfunk and UNBEATABLE [white label].) The games that aren't working right now that I've 100% tested are HELLDIVERS 2 and Animal Well (both via the Steam Linux Runtime or via Proton). Cyberpunk 2077 was also showing issues on a previous install, but it's too big for me to redownload and test (~24 hour download time).
Please read these caveats:
Both vkcube and (using the NixOS nvidia-offload script, which sets OPTIMUS/PRIME variables) glxgears run successfully using the dGPU.
The Steam executable for ANIMAL WELL launches and works on the dGPU when run through the system's wine64, but does NOT run at all through Steam. nvidia-offload wine64 Animal\ Well.exe works on NixOS, but it lacks all Steam-related features (cloud saves, achievements, input, etc.)
Animal Well on Steam spawns the following error popup: "Failed to create D3D12 Device (error = 0x80004005)"
Proton Hotfix, Experimental, and 9 all don’t work.
I have written more in the NixOS forums (linked at the bottom) and some extra information is there (exhausted from multiple weeks worth of issues).
Reproduction
A fresh installation of Pop!_OS on my computer followed by a system update (sudo apt update -y && sudo apt dist-upgrade -y) and then installing steam (sudo apt install steam) and restarting reproduces my issues. My current fresh NixOS installation (relevant configuration is in my sister thread on the NixOS forums, linked at the bottom of the post).
It's been a little while, but here are a few more games with quirks:
Cyberpunk 2077 doesn't use the dGPU. It launches, but freezes when a save file is loaded. The ray-tracing options are unavailable in the settings.
Deep Rock Galactic behaves strangely; using DX12, the game launches with the iGPU. Using DX11, the game refuses to launch and gets stuck on the Unreal splash screen.
Other games work:
Tunic runs at native resolution/framerate utilizing the dGPU
Compatibility Report
System Information
I confirm:
Some crash logs:
Animal Well: steam-813230.zip
Helldivers 2: steam-553850.zip
Symptoms
Most games aren't using my discrete GPU or are crashing when trying to use it. Some games are using it (or at least seem to be? Most of my game library is too big install over my slow network connection, and the games small enough to download quickly could easily be run on integrated graphics, so I'm not entirely sure. nvidia-smi reports that the games that work are using it, but I'm still not entirely sure. The "working" games are Bomb Rush Cyberfunk and UNBEATABLE [white label].) The games that aren't working right now that I've 100% tested are HELLDIVERS 2 and Animal Well (both via the Steam Linux Runtime or via Proton). Cyberpunk 2077 was also showing issues on a previous install, but it's too big for me to redownload and test (~24 hour download time).
Please read these caveats:
vkcubeand (using the NixOSnvidia-offloadscript, which sets OPTIMUS/PRIME variables)glxgearsrun successfully using the dGPU.nvidia-offload wine64 Animal\ Well.exeworks on NixOS, but it lacks all Steam-related features (cloud saves, achievements, input, etc.)Reproduction
A fresh installation of Pop!_OS on my computer followed by a system update (
sudo apt update -y && sudo apt dist-upgrade -y) and then installing steam (sudo apt install steam) and restarting reproduces my issues. My current fresh NixOS installation (relevant configuration is in my sister thread on the NixOS forums, linked at the bottom of the post).Final Notes