Notes regarding Gaming on Linux

Disable mouse acceleration in X11

$ cat /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/40-libinput.conf
[...]
Section "InputClass"
        Identifier "libinput pointer catchall"
        MatchIsPointer "on"
        MatchDevicePath "/dev/input/event*"
        Driver "libinput"
        Option "AccelProfile" "flat"   #<---- setting this to flat means no acceleration 🥰
EndSection
[...]

Set low-latency GRUB kernel parameters

To improve responsiveness and reduce latency in gaming or audio workloads, you can add the following parameters to your kernel boot line:

nohz=on
– Enables "running tickless" mode, reducing CPU interruptions when idle or under low load.

threadirqs
– Moves interrupt handling into separate threads, allowing better prioritization and responsiveness.

preempt=full
– Enables full kernel preemption, reducing input lag and improving system responsiveness at the cost of a bit more CPU usage.

To apply these:

$ sudo vim /etc/default/grub

# Find the line:
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"

# And change it to:
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash nohz=on threadirqs preempt=full"

# Save and exit. Then update GRUB:
$ sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

$ reboot

Verify that the parameters were applied:

$ cat /proc/cmdline

This tweak is safe for most modern systems and may reduce stutter, input delay, and frame spikes.