New Linux Update Raises Hopes For A Performance Boost On Steam Deck

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home March 26, 2025 8 Views 3 Min Read
New Linux Update Raises Hopes For A Performance Boost On Steam Deck



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Summary

  • Linux Kernal 6.14, the newest update, is a huge win for performance.
  • It reportedly boosts framerate by 50-150 percent for Windows games running via Wine.
  • That means if Valve implements the update, non-Steam games via GOG or EGS could see a performance boost without the handheld itself needing to be upgraded.

Linux just released a new update, Kernal 6.14, which is filled to the brim with technobabble you don’t need to worry about. The real hook? It could mean a huge performance boost on Steam Deck, making your existing hardware run better without needing to fork out for an upgrade.

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As reported by OMG! Ubuntu, one of the key features this update brings is the NT synchronization driver, or ‘ntsync’ for short. This will boost performance specifically for Windows games running on Linux via Wine and other “related tech stacks”, which could reportedly result in a framerate boost of 50-150 percent (ie games running at 30fps could hit upward of 75fps).

There are a couple of caveats, however:

  • Valve has to implement ntsync in an official SteamOS update, it won’t automatically apply
  • As it only boosts games running through Wine, that means it won’t affect native Steam games, which run on Proton. Nevertheless, for those who enjoy tinkering with their Deck and running non-Steam games, like GOG and Epic through Heroic, update 6.14 is exciting news.

It Won’t Just Make Games Run Faster

Steam Deck OLED white version
via Valve

Linux 6.14 won’t just benefit video games, though, it’ll also improve performance across the board. The new update implements something called ‘fsnotify event’, which, simply put, boosts performance for any task or app that accesses large amounts of data remotely. Multiple GPU workloads will also now run concurrently, speeding up storage and preventing lag. All in all, it should make for a smoother experience.

But again, this is purely for Linux right now. Valve might adopt these new features to boost performance, but we’ll simply have to wait and see. But there is a strong likelihood that, in the future, your existing hardware will run better from a mere update. And if not existing hardware, these changes to Linux are promising for the inevitable Steam Deck 2, although Valve said that it currently has no plans for a successor at this time.

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