ReShade for Linux

A native Linux port of ReShade, crosire's post-processing injector for games, that you turn on with RESHADE=1, the same way you use MANGOHUD=1. It works for native Vulkan games and for Proton/Wine games, because DXVK and VKD3D-Proton turn Direct3D 9–12 into Vulkan, and ReShade runs as a Vulkan layer.

Note

This is an unofficial fork that only builds for Linux. For Windows, use the original at crosire/reshade. Report problems with this port here, not on the ReShade forum or Discord.

It installs these files:

Part	File	Use it for
Vulkan layer	/usr/lib/reshade/libreshade.so, /usr/lib32/reshade/libreshade.so	the ReShade runtime, overlay and effect compiler for 64-bit and 32-bit games
Layer manifests	/usr/share/vulkan/implicit_layer.d/reshade.x86_64.json, reshade.x86.json	let the Vulkan loader load the layer when RESHADE=1 is set
Launcher	/usr/bin/reshade	reshade %command%, and downloading the default effects
Desktop entry	/usr/share/applications/me.reshade.ReShade.desktop	names the global shortcuts in the desktop settings

How it works

ReShade is installed the same way the Windows setup tool installs it:

1. Run reshade --download-shaders once. It downloads the standard effects (crosire/reshade-shaders, branch slim) to ~/.local/share/reshade/reshade-shaders.

2. Start a game with RESHADE=1. On the first launch ReShade creates these files next to the game executable:

   <game dir>/
   ├── ReShade.ini            created with the same defaults as the Windows setup tool
   ├── ReShade.log
   ├── ReShadePreset.ini      created when you pick effects in the overlay
   └── reshade-shaders/
       ├── Shaders/           a copy of the default effects
       └── Textures/
   

3. Press Home in the game to open the overlay, or bind a key to it in your desktop settings (see Global shortcuts).

Effects you put in a game's reshade-shaders folder only apply to that game. Effects you add to ~/.local/share/reshade/reshade-shaders are copied into every game that you start for the first time afterwards.

For Proton games, the game directory is the folder of the Windows executable (e.g. steamapps/common/<Game>/bin/x64), not the folder of the Wine loader. ReShade maps the Windows path to the Unix path through the Wine prefix (WINEPREFIX, or STEAM_COMPAT_DATA_PATH/pfx for Proton).

Requirements

• x86_64 Linux with a Vulkan 1.1+ driver (and the multilib 32-bit driver for 32-bit games)
• An X11 or Wayland session
• libxcb, libxkbcommon, wayland, dbus, vulkan-icd-loader
• For global shortcuts: xdg-desktop-portal 1.19 or newer with a backend that implements GlobalShortcuts (e.g. xdg-desktop-portal-kde, xdg-desktop-portal-hyprland)
• git and curl for reshade --download-shaders

Installing

Arch Linux (AUR)

Package	Source
reshade-linux-git	builds the latest commit of this repository (64-bit layer, launcher)
lib32-reshade-linux-git	the 32-bit layer from the same build, for 32-bit games

yay -S reshade-linux-git lib32-reshade-linux-git

Building

Build dependencies: cmake, ninja, gcc, python, python-jinja, pkgconf, libx11, libxcb, libxkbcommon, wayland, dbus. For the 32-bit layer also lib32-gcc-libs, lib32-libx11, lib32-libxcb, lib32-libxkbcommon, lib32-wayland and lib32-dbus.

git clone --recursive https://github.com/TheElevatedOne/reshade-linux.git
cd reshade-linux

# 64-bit layer, launcher and desktop entry
cmake -S . -B build-linux -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr
cmake --build build-linux
sudo cmake --install build-linux

# 32-bit layer
cmake -S . -B build-linux32 -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/usr \
  -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=linux/toolchain-i686.cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR=lib32 -DRESHADE_INSTALL_SHARED_FILES=OFF
cmake --build build-linux32
sudo cmake --install build-linux32

The build generates the Vulkan function loader with glad (from deps/glad) on the first build, which needs python-jinja. The version number comes from git describe, so fetch the tags of the repository as well.

CMake option	Default	Description
RESHADE_LAYER_NAME	VK_LAYER_reshade	Vulkan layer name (the architecture is appended)
RESHADE_DATA_DIR	<prefix>/share/reshade	system-wide default effects (reshade-shaders/) and Compatibility.ini
RESHADE_INSTALL_SHARED_FILES	ON	install the launcher and desktop entry (turn off for the 32-bit build)
RESHADE_VERSION_OVERRIDE	from git describe	version to build as (<major>.<minor>.<revision>), for builds without the git tags

Usage

Steam

Set the launch options of a game (native or Proton) to either of these:

reshade %command%
RESHADE=1 %command%

Other launchers and programs

reshade vkcube
RESHADE=1 lutris

Launcher reference

Usage: reshade [options] <command> [arguments...]

Options:
  --download-shaders [<git-url> [<branch>]]
                        Download effects into ~/.local/share/reshade/reshade-shaders, which is
                        copied into new game directories (default: crosire/reshade-shaders, branch
                        "slim"). Can be given several times to add more effect repositories.
  --list-shaders        List the effect files that are copied into new game directories.
  --update-shaders      Also copy effects that were added to the default effects since a game
                        was first launched (only copies missing files, never overwrites).
  --log                 Mirror the ReShade log to standard error.
  -h, --help            Show this help.

Examples:

# Standard effects plus the compatibility list of the Windows setup tool
reshade --download-shaders

# Add another effect repository to the defaults
reshade --download-shaders https://github.com/prod80/prod80-ReShade-Repository master

# Copy newly downloaded effects into a game that was already set up
reshade --update-shaders %command%

Overlay input

ReShade runs inside the game as a Vulkan layer, so it receives input the way the window system lets a library in the game process do it:

Window system	How ReShade gets input	Input blocking while the overlay is open
X11 / XWayland (Proton's default)	XInput2 raw events on its own X11 connection, while the game window is focused	the pointer and keyboard are grabbed, so the game doesn't see the clicks
Native Wayland (PROTON_ENABLE_WAYLAND=1, SDL/GLFW games on Wayland)	its own wl_seat on the game's Wayland connection; the compositor sends the game's pointer and keyboard events to it as well	not possible; the game receives the same input

Global shortcuts

While a game runs, ReShade registers its actions with the desktop through the XDG global shortcuts portal, so you can bind keys to them in the desktop settings. These work even when the game window isn't focused, and you can also send them to the game from scripts.

Shortcut ID	Action
toggle-overlay	open or close the overlay
toggle-effects	turn all effects on or off
screenshot	take a screenshot
reload-effects	recompile all effects
next-preset / previous-preset	switch to the next or previous preset in the preset folder
toggle-fps	show or hide the FPS counter

The application ID is me.reshade.ReShade. ReShade doesn't suggest default keys, so nothing collides with your existing shortcuts.

• KDE Plasma: on the first launch Plasma asks you to confirm the shortcuts. Assign keys afterwards in System Settings → Keyboard → Shortcuts → ReShade.

• Hyprland: bind a key to the global dispatcher. hyprctl globalshortcuts lists the registered IDs while a game runs.

  -- hyprland.lua
  hl.bind("SUPER + F12", function() hl.dispatch(hl.dsp.global("me.reshade.ReShade:toggle-overlay")) end)

  # hyprland.conf
  bind = SUPER, F12, global, me.reshade.ReShade:toggle-overlay

  To trigger an action from a script: hyprctl dispatch global me.reshade.ReShade:screenshot.

Configuration

Where ReShade looks

What	Location
ReShade.ini, presets, log	next to the game executable. If that folder is read-only (e.g. /usr/bin), ~/.local/share/reshade/apps/<exe name>/ is used instead
Default effects	~/.local/share/reshade/reshade-shaders, then /usr/share/reshade/reshade-shaders
Template for new ReShade.ini files	~/.local/share/reshade/ReShade.ini, then /usr/share/reshade/ReShade.ini (optional)
Per-game depth settings	Compatibility.ini in the same two folders (downloaded by --download-shaders)
Effect cache	~/.cache/reshade

All settings in ReShade.ini work the same as on Windows. Paths with backslashes (e.g. .\reshade-shaders\Shaders\**) are accepted, so you can copy configurations and presets from a Windows install. The [INSTALL] BasePath setting is supported as well.

Environment variables

Variable	Description
RESHADE=1	Enable the layer
DISABLE_RESHADE=1	Disable the layer again, e.g. for a child process
RESHADE_BASE_PATH=<dir>	Use <dir> instead of the game directory for ReShade.ini, presets and effects
RESHADE_UPDATE_SHADERS=1	Copy missing default effects into an existing game directory
RESHADE_DISABLE_INPUT_GRAB=1	Don't grab the mouse and keyboard while the overlay is in use (X11)
RESHADE_DISABLE_GLOBAL_SHORTCUTS=1	Don't register the global shortcuts with the desktop portal
RESHADE_DISABLE_LOGGING=1	Don't write ReShade.log (unless [INSTALL] Logging=1 is set)
RESHADE_LOG_STDERR=1	Mirror the log to standard error

Add-ons

The built-in add-ons (generic depth buffer detection and effect runtime sync) are included. External add-ons are loaded from *.addon and *.addon64 files in the base path (or [ADDON] AddonPath) with dlopen, so they have to be built for Linux. Windows add-on DLLs don't load. Build add-ons as shared objects with -fPIC -fvisibility=hidden (plus -Wno-changes-meaning with GCC) and register them from a constructor function:

#include <reshade.hpp>

__attribute__((constructor)) static void addon_load()
{
	reshade::register_addon(nullptr); // nullptr: the add-on's own module is looked up automatically
}

__attribute__((destructor)) static void addon_unload()
{
	reshade::unregister_addon(nullptr);
}

Limitations

• Vulkan only. Native OpenGL games are not supported. Proton games are covered through DXVK and VKD3D-Proton. Games that Proton runs with WineD3D (PROTON_USE_WINED3D=1) use OpenGL and are not covered.
• Input blocking. On X11, games that read raw mouse motion may still turn the camera while the overlay is open. On native Wayland, the game always receives the input that goes to the overlay too.
• Wayland scaling. On native Wayland, pointer coordinates are assumed to match the swap chain size. Games that render at a different size than their logical window size (fractional scaling) get an offset overlay cursor.
• FP16 swap chains. ReShade treats R16G16B16A16_SFLOAT back buffers as scRGB HDR, also when the game uses the sRGB color space with them (e.g. vkcube on HDR-capable Wayland compositors). Effects written for SDR then look wrong in those games.
• Global shortcuts need a portal backend with GlobalShortcuts support and the installed me.reshade.ReShade.desktop file; without them, the log says that global shortcuts are not available.
• No gamepad navigation, VR (OpenVR/OpenXR), update check or translated UI.
• Screenshot sounds play through pw-play, paplay or aplay. Open folder uses the org.freedesktop.FileManager1 D-Bus interface, or xdg-open as a fallback.

Troubleshooting

• Check that the layer is found: RESHADE=1 vulkaninfo --summary 2>&1 | grep -i reshade.
• Read ReShade.log next to the game executable, or run with reshade --log %command% and read the Steam console output.
• If the game directory was set up before you downloaded effects, run it once with reshade --update-shaders %command%.

Documentation

• REFERENCE.md: the ReShade FX shading language and the add-on API
• examples/: example add-ons from the original project (most are written for Windows)
• aur/: the AUR packaging

License

ReShade is developed by crosire and licensed under the BSD 3-Clause license, see LICENSE.md. Some source files are also available under the MIT license, when stated at the top of those files.