MAKO README

The project's README from github.com/eugeniosegala/MAKO. As one markdown file: README.md.

MAKO - Frame Generation and Scaling on SteamOS/Linux

MAKO logo

eugeniosegala/MAKO | Trendshift

Join the MAKO Discord community Tests status GPL-3.0-or-later license
Latest MAKO Decky release Latest MAKO Renderer release SteamOS and Linux

[!IMPORTANT] Decky LSFG-VK Experimental and LSFG-VK Experimental are now MAKO. This repository is their new home and continuation. Future development, releases, documentation, and issue tracking happen here.

Independent project: MAKO is not an official Lossless Scaling, Decky Loader, or lsfg-vk release. MAKO does not contain or distribute Lossless Scaling, Lossless.dll, or extracted proprietary model payloads. LSFG frame generation and LS1 scaling read selected resources at runtime from a lawful, user-supplied Lossless Scaling installation; the open MAKO Scaler does not require it. MAKO does not alter the user's DLL file, and translated resources remain process-local. Users are responsible for complying with the terms applicable to their copy. See Third-party notices.

Downloads

Component Recommended for Releases
MAKO Decky Steam Deck, Steam Machine, and Decky Loader users (bundles MAKO Renderer) Latest MAKO Decky release (ZIP under Assets)
MAKO Renderer Direct Vulkan-layer installation without Decky Latest MAKO Renderer release (Linux archive under Assets)

Community

Join the official MAKO Discord for discussion, testing, development, showcases, and live troubleshooting. GitHub remains the source of truth for bug reports and feature requests.

[!TIP] Want update alerts? MAKO Decky and MAKO Renderer are published independently. At the top-right of the MAKO GitHub repository page, click Watch > Custom, select Releases, then click Apply. GitHub will notify you when a new release is published, subject to your GitHub notification settings.

Published Renderer packages currently target x86_64 Linux hosts and include layers for both 64-bit and 32-bit x86 game processes. Native AArch64/Armada packages are not included in this release.

✨ Highlights

Highlight What it brings
🖼️ Full-quality frame generation Uses the Lossless Scaling frame-generation models from the user's licensed installation, with quality and performance controls per profile.
👻 Significantly reduced ghosting The full-quality v2 model with Lighter FG Model off can show noticeably less ghosting than the older layer. Supported AMD GPUs also gain extra protection against ghosting and corrupted moving edges. Results remain game-dependent.
🔍 LS1 + open spatial scaling Reconstructs a lower-resolution game frame with LS1 Quality, LS1 Performance, or the open single-pass MAKO Scaler, independently or before Fixed or Adaptive generation.
🎯 Adaptive Frame Generation Optionally targets 30–240 FPS while MAKO Renderer varies generated frames up to a selected 2x–5x ceiling.
🌈 HDR foundation MAKO Renderer includes HDR10/PQ and linear-scRGB groundwork. MAKO Decky keeps HDR exposure disabled while activation, presentation, colour, and performance are validated across games.
🧩 64-bit and 32-bit x86 Vulkan Ships architecture-matched host and Flatpak layers so Vulkan can select the correct library for each game process.
🛡️ Gamescope recovery Bounded presentation recovery preserves native presentation and resumes generation only after the game cadence becomes stable again.
⏯️ Live frame-generation switch Turns frame generation on or off without discarding the selected Fixed or Adaptive settings.
🗂️ Dedicated game/process profiles Capture a running game once and keep its renderer and compatibility settings. MAKO automatically selects it by Steam app ID or process, with isolated per-profile controls including ALSA audio.
🎮 Third-party launchers Per-game setup for Heroic and Lutris, plus EmuDeck emulator preparation and Steam shortcuts. See the quick guides below.

What MAKO is

MAKO (Motion-Adaptive Kernel Orchestration) brings LSFG frame generation, LS1 spatial scaling, and the open MAKO Scaler to Linux gaming. Scaling can run alone or reconstruct real frames before Fixed or Adaptive Frame Generation.

The project consists of two closely integrated components:

🎮 In-game considerations

[!TIP] Try the game's V-Sync setting both on and off. It can make frame delivery feel steadier, but it may also add input lag or clash with the game's FPS cap, VRR, or compositor. Compare both options and keep the one that feels smoother and more responsive.

Every game and display behaves differently. Compare one setting at a time; fullscreen is usually the best starting point. See the configuration guide for which controls apply live and which require a restart.

Install and use

  1. Install Decky Loader if needed. Switch to Desktop Mode and follow the official Decky Loader installation guide, then return to Game Mode.

  2. Install Lossless Scaling from Steam if you will use frame generation or LS1 scaling. MAKO reads its licensed Lossless.dll; the open MAKO Scaler works without it.

  3. Open the latest MAKO Decky release and download its ZIP under Assets.

  4. In Decky's settings, enable Developer Mode, then select Developer > Install Plugin from Zip.

  5. Open MAKO Decky and select Install MAKO Renderer. Installing the ZIP alone does not install its bundled Renderer.

  6. For a native Steam or Proton game, add this under Steam Properties > Launch Options:

    /home/deck/.local/bin/mako-run %command%

  7. Start the game normally.

  8. Experiment with the settings to find what works best for each game. Try Fixed or Adaptive Frame Generation, and enable or tune scaling independently.

[!IMPORTANT] If Decky does not show or reload MAKO Decky after installing a ZIP, uninstall it, install the ZIP again, and restart your Steam Deck or Steam Machine. Then open the plugin and repeat step 5.

Optional graphics integrations

MAKO Decky provides a per-profile Gamescope WSI option and host-installed MangoHud or vkBasalt integrations. Inside a supported Gamescope session, scaling enables its managed WSI path automatically. The optional WSI path is limited to supported 64-bit launches, and vkBasalt remains experimental. See optional graphics integrations for ordering and limits.

How to configure MAKO with third-party launchers

For a step-by-step guide that creates a shareable report on the Desktop, see Collect MAKO Decky Diagnostics.

Updating MAKO Decky

[!IMPORTANT] To prevent Decky retaining a previous plugin backend or bundled payload, especially when moving between local test ZIPs, uninstall MAKO Decky, install the newer ZIP, restart, then select Install MAKO Renderer.

  1. Quit the games using MAKO.
  2. Uninstall MAKO Decky, then install the newer ZIP through Developer > Install Plugin from Zip.
  3. Restart your Steam Deck or Steam Machine.
  4. Open MAKO Decky and select Install MAKO Renderer to install the version bundled in the ZIP.
  5. If you use prepared Flatpak applications, open Flatpak Setup and select Update for each matching runtime extension shown by MAKO.

Valid profiles and Steam launch options are retained. If the saved Renderer configuration cannot be read or validated, installation recreates it with defaults. Uninstalling MAKO Decky removes the shared native Renderer, while Flatpak extensions remain installed separately; step 5 updates them.

Use MAKO Renderer directly

Decky is optional. Desktop Linux users can install MAKO Renderer directly:

  1. To use frame generation or LS1 scaling, purchase and install Lossless Scaling through Steam. The open MAKO Scaler does not use Lossless.dll.
  2. Download and extract MAKO-Renderer-v<version>-linux.tar.xz from the latest MAKO Renderer release, then run Install MAKO Renderer. The installer opens MAKO Renderer Configuration and shows the launch option.
  3. Run the installer again to update. See the MAKO Renderer guide for manual installation, Flatpak setup, configuration, and removal.

[!IMPORTANT] MAKO Decky and the standalone archive share one native Renderer. Installing either selects its version: the standalone installer warns before replacing Decky's version, while Decky adopts a valid standalone installation or offers its bundled update when versions differ. Uninstall MAKO Renderer removes the shared native files but keeps MAKO Decky and profiles; uninstalling MAKO Decky removes both the plugin and managed Renderer. Shared Flatpak extensions remain installed.

Documentation

Community creators have covered and tested the project on Steam Deck hardware. See Featured In for video links, channels, and coverage details.

Credits and project lineage

MAKO is built on the work of two open-source projects and their communities:

MAKO also thanks the Lossless Scaling developers for the LS1 and LSFG models accessed through each user's licensed installation, the Wine/vkd3d developers whose shader translator enables the Vulkan LS1 path, and the Decky Loader team, community contributors, testers, guide authors, and creators who helped make the project possible. The open MAKO Scaler is independently implemented in this repository.

The original copyright and license notices are preserved in LICENSE.md. MAKO is an independent community project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Lossless Scaling, Decky Loader, or either upstream project.

License

MAKO is distributed under GPL-3.0-or-later. Required upstream notices and the user-supplied proprietary-component boundary are recorded in Third-party notices, and visual sources are recorded in Asset provenance. Contributions are accepted under the policy in CONTRIBUTING.md.

AI-assisted development

MAKO uses coding agents as part of an evidence-driven engineering workflow while keeping architecture, review, validation, and release decisions under human ownership. See AI use in MAKO for the full approach.

MAKO (eugeniosegala/MAKO)

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MAKO
What is this?MAKO is a Vulkan-powered graphics layer for Linux gaming that brings Lossless Scaling-style frame generation, LS1 spatial scaling, and an open MAKO Scaler to Steam Deck, Steam Machine, and desktop Linux. It is the continuation of the Decky LSFG-VK Experimental and LSFG-VK Experimental projects.
Is this a Decky Loader plugin or a standalone Vulkan layer?It is both: MAKO Decky is a Decky Loader plugin that adds per-game controls and installation on Steam Deck/Steam Machine, while MAKO Renderer is the actual Vulkan layer doing the graphics work and can be installed directly on any desktop Linux system without Decky.
How do I install MAKO?On Steam Deck, install Decky Loader, download the MAKO Decky release ZIP, install it via Developer > Install Plugin from Zip, then open the plugin and choose Install MAKO Renderer. On plain desktop Linux you can skip Decky and just download the MAKO Renderer tar.xz from releases and run its installer.
Do I need Lossless Scaling installed to use it?Yes, for frame generation and LS1 scaling you need a licensed copy of Lossless Scaling purchased on Steam, since MAKO reads its Lossless.dll at runtime. The open MAKO Scaler feature works on its own without that purchase.
Any install pitfalls or platform limits I should know about?Published Renderer builds only target x86_64 Linux hosts (with both 64-bit and 32-bit game process layers); there are no native AArch64 packages yet. Also, if Decky does not show or reload MAKO Decky after installing a ZIP, you need to uninstall it, reinstall, and restart your Steam Deck or Steam Machine.
Does this only work on Steam Deck, or regular desktop Linux too?MAKO targets Steam Deck, Steam Machine, and general desktop Linux alike; the Decky plugin is aimed at handheld/Decky users while the standalone MAKO Renderer covers any x86_64 Linux desktop.
What is the open MAKO Scaler and how is it different from LS1?The MAKO Scaler is an independently implemented, open single-pass spatial upscaler built into MAKO itself, so it works without any Lossless Scaling purchase, unlike LS1 Quality/Performance which reads models from a licensed Lossless Scaling install.
What is Adaptive Frame Generation?It is a mode that targets a chosen FPS range of 30-240 while MAKO Renderer dynamically varies how many frames it generates, up to a selected 2x-5x ceiling, instead of always multiplying by a fixed factor.
Does MAKO work with third-party launchers like Heroic or Lutris?Yes, MAKO Decky includes per-game setup guides for Heroic, Lutris, EmuDeck emulator preparation, and Steam shortcuts, alongside support for other Flatpak apps.
Why was this project renamed to MAKO instead of staying as Decky LSFG-VK?MAKO is the new continuation and home of the former Decky LSFG-VK Experimental and LSFG-VK Experimental projects, consolidating future development, releases, and issue tracking under one name while crediting the original lsfg-vk and Decky LSFG-VK creators.
What are similar projects?bloodborne_pc, DLSS5-Feeder, pt-pc, Yakumo, dxvk, OptiScaler, TheSimpsonsGameRecomp, dlssg_for_sm86
Which topics is it in?steamdeck, frame-generation, steam-deck, graphics-programming, performance-optimization, vulkan-api, amd-gpu, steam, flatpak, upscaling, modding, vulkan
Creator
eugeniosegala
Size
38.7 MB
Stars
613
Updated
CommitOct 14Releaseplugin-v4.5.0Oct 13
Age
2mo
Commits · 90 Days