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Native Linux GeForce NOW App Enters Beta

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Here is a blog post summarizing the announcement. Linux Gaming Just Got a Serious Upgrade: Native GeForce NOW App Enters Beta If you’re a Linux user who has been waiting for a seamless cloud gaming experience, the wait is finally over. NVIDIA has officially launched the beta for a native GeForce NOW app for Linux PCs, bringing the full power of the cloud to your desktop without the need for browser workarounds or Steam Deck-specific tweaks. Here is everything you need to know about this week’s "GFN Thursday" update. A True Desktop Experience Until now, the Linux experience for GeForce NOW was largely tuned for the Steam Deck, targeting handheld resolutions and lower frame rates. The beta is built specifically for PCs and notebooks, aiming to provide parity with the Windows and macOS apps. The app supports streaming at up to 5K resolution at 120 frames per second, or 1080p at a blistering 360 fps. Because the heavy lifting is done in the cloud, even modest Linux setups can now...
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Getting a Smooth Steam Big Picture & VR Experience on Ubuntu with NVIDIA

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 If you’re anything like me, you love the idea of kicking back on the couch with a controller, but the reality of a laggy, stuttering Steam interface or choppy VR can quickly pull you out of the fun. My setup (Ubuntu 24.04, NVIDIA RTX 4070 Super, and a Ryzen 5 3600) is powerful, but even top-tier hardware needs a little Linux love to shine.

After a lot of tweaking, I’ve found a fantastic combination of tools and settings that transform the experience from clunky to buttery smooth. 

The "new" Steam Big Picture Mode is essentially a web browser, and on Linux, especially with NVIDIA, it can feel surprisingly sluggish. The secret weapon here is Gamescope, a micro-compositor from Valve themselves, designed to provide a highly optimized, lag-free gaming environment.

Step 1: Install Gamescope

Gamescope isn't always in the default Ubuntu repositories, but a trusted PPA makes installation a breeze. Open your terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run these commands:

Bash
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:3v1n0/gamescope -y
sudo apt update
sudo apt install gamescope

Step 2: Grant Gamescope the Power it Needs

Gamescope wants to run at a high priority for maximum smoothness, but Linux security prevents this by default. Give it the necessary permissions with this command:

Bash
sudo setcap 'CAP_SYS_NICE=eip' $(which gamescope)

Step 3: Create Your One-Click Launch Script

To avoid typing long commands every time, let's create a simple script that launches Steam in Gamescope.

  1. Create the script file: nano ~/launch_steam_smooth.sh

  2. Paste this code: (Adjust -W and -H to your monitor's resolution. I use 1080p for better readability from the couch.)

    Bash
    #!/bin/bash

# Ensure NVIDIA is playing nice with Gamescope
export WLR_NO_HARDWARE_CURSORS=1
export __GLX_VENDOR_LIBRARY_NAME=nvidia

# Launch Steam in Big Picture mode through Gamescope
# -W and -H are width/height. Change to 3840 and 2160 if using a 4K display.
# -f starts it in Fullscreen.
# -r 60 sets the refresh rate to 60Hz (standard for most TVs/monitors).

gamescope -W 1920 -H 1080 -r 60 -f -- steam -bigpicture

  3. Save and exit: Press Ctrl+O, then Enter, then Ctrl+X.

  4. Make it executable: chmod +x ~/launch_steam_smooth.sh

Step 4: Create a Desktop Shortcut (Optional, but Recommended!)

For true convenience, let’s get an icon on your desktop or in your app launcher.

  1. Create the desktop entry file: nano ~/Desktop/SteamSmooth.desktop

  2. Paste this in:

    Ini, TOML
    [Desktop Entry]
Name=Steam (Smooth Mode)
Comment=Launch Steam Big Picture with Gamescope
Exec=/home/jason/launch_steam_smooth.sh
Icon=steam
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Game;

  3. Save and exit: Ctrl+O, Enter, Ctrl+X.

  4. Allow Launching: Right-click the new SteamSmooth.desktop file on your desktop and select "Allow Launching" (or similar, depending on your desktop environment)


Step 1: Enable NVIDIA DRM Modeset

This is CRITICAL for NVIDIA GPUs on Linux, especially for VR and Gamescope. It essentially tells your kernel to properly initialize your NVIDIA card.

  1. Check if it's already on: sudo cat /sys/module/nvidia_drm/parameters/modeset If this returns Y, you're good! If it returns N or "Permission denied", proceed.

  2. Edit your Grub configuration: sudo nano /etc/default/grub

  3. Find the line: GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"

  4. Change it to: GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash nvidia-drm.modeset=1"

  5. Save and Exit: Press Ctrl+O, Enter, then Ctrl+X.

  6. Apply changes and reboot: sudo update-grub sudo reboot

Step 2: Use ALVR for Your Quest 2

For Quest users on Linux, ALVR (Air Light VR) is generally superior to the official Steam Link app. It offers more control and better performance, especially with NVIDIA's NVENC encoder.

  1. Download the ALVR Dashboard: Grab the latest .deb or AppImage from the ALVR GitHub Releases page.

  2. Install ALVR: If you downloaded a .deb, you can usually double-click it to install, or use sudo dpkg -i /path/to/alvr.deb. If it's an AppImage, just make it executable (chmod +x alvr-whatever.AppImage) and run it.

  3. Configure ALVR: In the ALVR dashboard's "Video" settings, make sure the encoder is set to NVENC. Experiment with bitrates – I find a sweet spot around 100-150 Mbps, but your network might differ.

Step 3: Opt into the SteamVR Beta

Valve pushes Linux-specific fixes and optimizations to the SteamVR Beta branch long before they hit the stable release.

  1. Open Steam (not in Big Picture Mode for this).

  2. Go to your Library.

  3. Right-click on SteamVR > Properties > Betas.

  4. Select "beta - SteamVR Beta Update" from the dropdown.

Step 4: CPU Power Management

Your Ryzen 5 3600 is capable, but VR can be CPU-intensive. Ensure your processor isn't "parking" cores or running in a low-power state.

  1. Install cpupower-gui: sudo apt install cpupower-gui

  2. Set to Performance: Open cpupower-gui (you can find it in your applications menu) and set your profile to "Performance" before launching VR.

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