How to enable screen tearing

[[?]legit]

Although I am not limiting my fps, I get no screen tearing at all, which means there has to be some sort of vsync or similar activated.

How can I disable it? I'd like to play with maximum responsiveness.

[Prezidentas]

Originally posted by Mahjik:

Originally posted by Vairuotojas-Kontrolierius:

Gamescope v-syncs everything and this behavior cannot be disabled.

I'm not sure that is true (at least in the SteamOS use case). If it were, you'd never be able to achieve framerates faster than the Hz of the Steam Deck display since it would always be sync'd. That would make the option of 'not' enabling a framerate limit useless.

the V-sync sits on top of the game so the game renders whatever it wants and then gamescope does the syncing.

[[?]legit]

Originally posted by Vairuotojas-Kontrolierius:

the V-sync sits on top of the game so the game renders whatever it wants and then gamescope does the syncing.

Considering we're on Linux, I have a small hope that there might be a possible "hack" to get rid of the sync. Installing windows would be the last resort, but not a great choice, especially when we have such a great OS.

[Mahjik]

Originally posted by Vairuotojas-Kontrolierius:

Originally posted by Mahjik:

I'm not sure that is true (at least in the SteamOS use case). If it were, you'd never be able to achieve framerates faster than the Hz of the Steam Deck display since it would always be sync'd. That would make the option of 'not' enabling a framerate limit useless.

the V-sync sits on top of the game so the game renders whatever it wants and then gamescope does the syncing.

That doesn't explain anything.

Any of the different "syncs" out there work around the refresh rate of the display. vsycn syncing to the predefined Hz (30, 40, 60, etc) or gsync which does the other trying to pick the best refresh rate for the frame rate. Either way, it's tied to Hz.

If Gamescope always "syncd", you'd never see odd frame rates like 70 FPS. The ability to not limit frame rates wouldn't function.

The way it should work based on definition, Gamescope should be sync'ing always unless "frame rate limit" is set to "off". However, as mentioned, simply disabling frame rate limiting doesn't automatically create tearing.

[Prezidentas]

Originally posted by legit:

Originally posted by Vairuotojas-Kontrolierius:

the V-sync sits on top of the game so the game renders whatever it wants and then gamescope does the syncing.

Considering we're on Linux, I have a small hope that there might be a possible "hack" to get rid of the sync. Installing windows would be the last resort, but not a great choice, especially when we have such a great OS.

just play on desktop mode if it's such a huge issue. I guess you are using kb+m already since I don't think it's possible to feel any v-sync delay with a controller at 60fps

[Prezidentas]

Originally posted by Mahjik:

Originally posted by Vairuotojas-Kontrolierius:

the V-sync sits on top of the game so the game renders whatever it wants and then gamescope does the syncing.

If Gamescope always "syncd", you'd never see odd frame rates like 70 FPS. The ability to not limit frame rates wouldn't function.

And you are never seeing those odd frame rates. the game renders at whatever FPS, and gamescope v-syncs it to the display refresh rate.
The deck originally didn't have FPS unlock feature at all. It was added when people had difficulty benchmarking games.

[[?]legit]

Originally posted by Vairuotojas-Kontrolierius:

Originally posted by legit:

Considering we're on Linux, I have a small hope that there might be a possible "hack" to get rid of the sync. Installing windows would be the last resort, but not a great choice, especially when we have such a great OS.

just play on desktop mode if it's such a huge issue. I guess you are using kb+m already since I don't think it's possible to feel any v-sync delay with a controller at 60fps

Well the sync hits pretty hard, aiming is almost not possible. I plugged in my controller and tested it in the same game under identical conditions (forced 45 in game fps) on my pc, and it feels infinitely smoother there. It's a difference like day and night for the input lag. You get nasty screen tearing at such low fps, but that's much better than getting input lag. At least for multiplayer fps games.

I don't really mind playing skyrim with vsync, but I cannot play call of duty or overwatch with vsync.

[Mahjik]

Originally posted by Vairuotojas-Kontrolierius:

Originally posted by Mahjik:

If Gamescope always "syncd", you'd never see odd frame rates like 70 FPS. The ability to not limit frame rates wouldn't function.

And you are never seeing those odd frame rates. the game renders at whatever FPS, and gamescope v-syncs it to the display refresh rate.
The deck originally didn't have FPS unlock feature at all. It was added when people had difficulty benchmarking games.

It goes the other way (lower frame rates, not higher). We know the deck supports 800P at 60Hz. Any odd frames you would see while sync'd will be a fraction from 60 "lower" since that is the max while sync'd. i.e. you won't see 71 FPS if that were true as an example.

When you miss a sync, the GPU and display have to catch the 'next' frame, which means you will drop 'almost' half. It's not really half if you make the next two syncs, but the math works out about 2/3's. Typically depending on how often the title will miss the 'next' sync, the math will work out to about frame rates between 2/3, 1/2 and 1/3 of the target frame rate (i.e. Hz).

This is why using vsync when the CPU & GPU cannot maintain the target Hz can be a worse experience (hence why Valve introduced 40Hz).

There are videos out there of the Deck displaying higher than 60 frames per second because the frame rate limiter allows that (which stops the sync as well).

[Prezidentas]

Originally posted by legit:

Originally posted by Vairuotojas-Kontrolierius:

just play on desktop mode if it's such a huge issue. I guess you are using kb+m already since I don't think it's possible to feel any v-sync delay with a controller at 60fps

Well the sync hits pretty hard, aiming is almost not possible. I plugged in my controller and tested it in the same game under identical conditions (forced 45 in game fps) on my pc, and it feels infinitely smoother there. It's a difference like day and night for the input lag. You get nasty screen tearing at such low fps, but that's much better than getting input lag. At least for multiplayer fps games.

I don't really mind playing skyrim with vsync, but I cannot play call of duty or overwatch with vsync.

what FPS are you setting as the limit with steam deck framelimiter? Are you using it at all or are you just using the limiter within your game?

[[?]legit]

Playing in the desktop mode forces vsnyc too for me. Is there anything I would have to disable there?

[[?]legit]

Originally posted by Vairuotojas-Kontrolierius:

Originally posted by legit:

Well the sync hits pretty hard, aiming is almost not possible. I plugged in my controller and tested it in the same game under identical conditions (forced 45 in game fps) on my pc, and it feels infinitely smoother there. It's a difference like day and night for the input lag. You get nasty screen tearing at such low fps, but that's much better than getting input lag. At least for multiplayer fps games.

I don't really mind playing skyrim with vsync, but I cannot play call of duty or overwatch with vsync.

what FPS are you setting as the limit with steam deck framelimiter? Are you using it at all or are you just using the limiter within your game?

The deck limiter is set to OFF. In game FPS are set to 60.

[Prezidentas]

Originally posted by legit:

Playing in the desktop mode forces vsnyc too for me. Is there anything I would have to disable there?

Shift+Alt+F12 to disable the compositor perhaps (though this is for X11)

[Prezidentas]

Originally posted by legit:

Originally posted by Vairuotojas-Kontrolierius:

what FPS are you setting as the limit with steam deck framelimiter? Are you using it at all or are you just using the limiter within your game?

The deck limiter is set to OFF. In game FPS are set to 60.

that should be pretty good, the deck limiter can create big input delay but it seems yours is OFF

[Mahjik]

Desktop mode "should" allow the game to define the display behavior. I say 'should' as I don't game in Desktop mode so I cannot verify.

[Prezidentas]

Originally posted by Mahjik:

Originally posted by Vairuotojas-Kontrolierius:

And you are never seeing those odd frame rates. the game renders at whatever FPS, and gamescope v-syncs it to the display refresh rate.
The deck originally didn't have FPS unlock feature at all. It was added when people had difficulty benchmarking games.

It goes the other way (lower frame rates, not higher). We know the deck supports 800P at 60Hz. Any odd frames you would see while sync'd will be a fraction from 60 "lower" since that is the max while sync'd. i.e. you won't see 71 FPS if that were true as an example.

When you miss a sync, the GPU and display have to catch the 'next' frame, which means you will drop 'almost' half. It's not really half if you make the next two syncs, but the math works out about 2/3's. Typically depending on how often the title will miss the 'next' sync, the math will work out to about frame rates between 2/3, 1/2 and 1/3 of the target frame rate (i.e. Hz).

This is why using vsync when the CPU & GPU cannot maintain the target Hz can be a worse experience (hence why Valve introduced 40Hz).

There are videos out there of the Deck displaying higher than 60 frames per second because the frame rate limiter allows that (which stops the sync as well).

Gamescope sets vblank_mode to 3, which means "Always synchronize with vertical refresh, application chooses the minimum swap interval" so it should be somewhat adaptive, perhaps that's why the output doesn't drop to 30

[Mahjik]

Originally posted by legit:

Originally posted by Vairuotojas-Kontrolierius:

what FPS are you setting as the limit with steam deck framelimiter? Are you using it at all or are you just using the limiter within your game?

The deck limiter is set to OFF. In game FPS are set to 60.

Disable the in-game FPS limiter or set it to as high as it goes.