DXVK 3.1: The Biggest Fixes and Features for Proton Gaming on Linux

DXVK 3.1 is a targeted update to the Vulkan-based Direct3D translation layer used with Wine and Proton for Windows games on Linux. Its most visible changes improve presentation and render-target compatibility, while a set of focused fixes addresses long-standing problems in games including Battlefield 3, The Witcher 1, Ghost Recon Breakpoint, and RaceRoom Racing Experience. 13

The headline changes in DXVK 3.1

Initial DXGI incremental-presentation support

DXVK 3.1 adds initial support for DXGI present parameters, including incremental presentation. The change targets applications that update only part of a window instead of redrawing the entire frame, fixing UI-rendering problems reported in VirtualDJ and Windows game launchers such as Ubisoft Connect. 34

The feature may also improve efficiency on Vulkan drivers that support VK_KHR_incremental_present, although its immediate value is compatibility rather than a guaranteed frame-rate increase. 3

D3D11 render-target views on buffers

D3D11 applications can now create render-target views directly on buffers. That capability is important for older engines that use this rendering pattern, including Frostbite titles. In Battlefield 3, it fixes missing or incorrectly rendered clouds. 134

Intel extension-library loading

DXVK 3.1 can load Intel-specific extension libraries when running on an Intel GPU. This is groundwork for future Proton support for Intel vendor extensions in D3D11; it should be understood as enabling infrastructure, not as a complete new Intel feature set in this release. 14

Hardware-focused improvements

The release includes more aggressive render-area optimization on tiling GPUs, reducing rendering work when only part of a surface needs updating. The expected benefit is hardware-dependent, so DXVK 3.1 should not be treated as a universal performance upgrade. 3

Nvidia users also receive two targeted fixes: one for incorrect water rendering in Ghost Recon Breakpoint and another for descriptor-heap out-of-memory failures on Nvidia drivers. 1

Game and compatibility fixes

DXVK 3.1 also resolves several regressions and application-specific issues:

• The Witcher 1 and Mabinogi: D3D9 fog rendering is restored, along with the same regression in other affected D3D9 games. 1
• Mirror’s Edge: Vulkan-validation errors are fixed. 1
• RaceRoom Racing Experience: The web interface works correctly when the game runs through Proton 11. 1
• Battlefield 3: Older Frostbite rendering behavior is handled through the new D3D11 buffer render-target support, fixing the cloud-rendering problem. 14

What the release means for Proton users

For most players, DXVK 3.1 is primarily a compatibility and correctness update. The practical improvements are most likely to appear when a game or launcher relies on partial-window updates, buffer-based D3D11 render targets, older D3D9 fog behavior, or a driver-specific rendering path. The tiling-GPU optimization may reduce unnecessary work in supported scenarios, but the available release information does not establish a universal performance gain. 134

Users who are affected by one of the listed bugs should prioritize the DXVK version bundled with their Proton setup or follow their distribution’s packaging guidance rather than assuming that manually replacing DLLs is necessary. The project’s release page contains the authoritative v3.1 binaries and complete changelog. 15