/ Gaming optimizations for 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.


// G-Wolves Mouse udev Rule

To access G-Wolves mouse settings through their web-based software on Linux, you need to create a udev rule that allows your user to access the USB receiver.


Step 1: Identify your mouse's Vendor ID and Product ID

$ lsusb

Look for a line containing "G-Wolves". Example output:

Bus 003 Device 003: ID 33e4:3717 G-Wolves G-Wolves Fenrir Max 8K Wireless Mouse-N

In this example: 33e4 is the Vendor ID, 3717 is the Product ID


Step 2: Create the udev rule

$ sudo vim /etc/udev/rules.d/70-g-wolves.rules

Step 3: Add the rule content

Paste this line, replacing the IDs with your mouse's values:

SUBSYSTEMS=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="33e4", ATTRS{idProduct}=="3717", MODE="0660", TAG+="uaccess"

Step 4: Apply the changes

$ sudo reboot
Note: The web-based software only works in Chrome and Edge. No Firefox sadly.

Credit: Reddit post by u/MouseReview community



// X11 vs Wayland Discussion


There’s a lot of buzz around Wayland as the future of the Linux desktop. It brings modern features, better security, and fixes a ton of legacy X11 issues. But when it comes to pure gaming performance, especially minimizing input and presentation latency, X11 as of 2025 is still faster.


X11 delivers consistently lower latency than Wayland.

Two in-depth benchmarks-one from mort.coffee (2025-01-26) and another from zamundaaa.github.io (2021-12-14)-have explored this topic in detail. Both are well worth reading for anyone interested in input latency on Wayland versus X11. For convenience, a summary is provided below.

/// 🧪 Mort's Latency Discussion: Wayland ≈ +6.5ms Lag

Findings:


X11 is ~6.5 ms faster - roughly one full frame at 144Hz.

/// 🧪 Zamundaaa's Latency Report: X11's Immediate Modes Beat Wayland's FIFO

Findings:


"Wayland is catching up,” zamundaaa notes, but “X11 is still the better choice for absolute lowest latency.”

Takeaway: Current data suggests that X11 still offers lower input latency compared to Wayland in many scenarios. Additionally, disabling your compositor can help reduce latency further. For now (as of 2025), sticking with X11 may be the better option if minimizing input delay is your priority.