Run a game using gamescope

Gamescope is Valve's micro-compositor that allows games to run in an isolated virtual display. It is used on the Steam Deck but also works in desktop Linux.

To run a game using a gamescope virtual display targeting 2560x1440@120:

gamescope -w 2560 -h 1440 -r 120 -- OTHER COMMAND LINE ARGS HERE

For example this runs WoW using proton inside gamescope (Running Windows games via Proton without going through Steam or Lutris):

#!/bin/bash
export STEAM_COMPAT_DATA_PATH="/opt/_pfx/wow"
export STEAM_COMPAT_CLIENT_INSTALL_PATH=~/.steam/steam
pushd "/opt/games/World of Warcraft/"
gamescope -w 2560 -h 1440 -r 120 -- $STEAM_COMPAT_CLIENT_INSTALL_PATH/compatibilitytools.d/GE-Proton10-29/proton run "/opt/games/World of Warcraft/Wow.exe" & disown
popd

Commands you can add before the --

To stretch game to fill window:

-S stretch

To display mangohud:

--mangoapp

Fix a crash that happens sometimes minimizing the game:

--expose-wayland

Commands that should work but don't seem to

Don't hide cursor

--hide-cursor-delay -1

Known bugs

• If you call gamescope with no command line arguments, then CTRL+C out of it in Terminal, the whole Wayland session crashes and you'll have to reset the PC using power button. Herp derp.
• Gamescope doesn't exit properly afterwards once the game is closed; you have to endtask winedevice.exe and possibly gamescope and gamescopereaper. See https://github.com/ValveSoftware/gamescope/issues/777