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Experimental project beats Intel in bringing ‘real Intel XeSS super resolution’ to SteamOS and Proton games on Linux
An independent developer has released an experimental project that enables Intel’s XeSS upscaling and frame generation to use Intel GPU matrix units in Proton games on Linux. The approach could improve performance for Linux gamers with Intel Arc graphics while they wait for Intel’s planned official support.
Tests reported a 29% performance gain in Cyberpunk from XMX-based upscaling alone, rising to 145% when frame generation was added; Forza Horizon 6 saw a 16% gain from the upscaling change and a further increase with 3x frame generation. The project has run on an Intel G3 Extreme handheld chip and an Arc B580, but remains experimental. It requires the native Steam client; Flatpak Steam is not supported.
In short
- Experimental XeSS support brings Intel XMX processing to Proton games on Linux.
- Cyberpunk performance rose 29%, or 145% with frame generation.
- The project requires native Steam and has limited testing so far.
Explained simply
Intel’s XeSS technology is designed to make games run more smoothly by rendering fewer pixels and using software to upscale the image. Some Intel graphics chips also have specialised matrix units, called XMX, that can handle this work. Frame generation creates extra frames between those a game renders, which can make motion appear smoother.
Many Windows games run on Linux through Proton, a compatibility tool used by Steam. An independent developer’s experimental project lets Proton games use XeSS with Intel’s XMX units and frame generation on Linux, including SteamOS. It has been tried on an Intel handheld chip and an Arc graphics card, but it requires the native Steam client and does not support Steam’s Flatpak version.
The project matters to Linux gamers with Intel graphics because it may improve game performance while they wait for official support from Intel. Its reported results come from particular games and hardware, so they do not establish how it will perform across other setups.