GUIDE · UPGRADING · DXVK 3.0 TO 3.1.1
DXVK 3.x: what changed and who should upgrade
How we checked this
Should you upgrade? (30-second check)
Pick your platform and GPU. The picker names the version that fits.
Where do I find my GPU and driver?
Windows: press Win+R, run dxdiag, open the Display tab: name and driver version are listed. Linux: run vulkaninfo --summary.
Choose your platform and type your GPU. You get one recommended version, the reason, and a download link.
Knows DXVK releases up to 3.1.1 · data 2026-11-07
What changed in 3.0
New shader compiler (dxbc-spirv)
According to the release notes, a new compiler, kept in its own repository as dxbc-spirv, now handles every shader model and replaces the older DXBC and D3D9 translators. Compilation moved fully to worker threads, which the notes link to faster start-up and less stutter in some titles, and the more compact code saves roughly 1 GiB of memory in games such as Overwatch and God of War. It is not described as a general FPS boost.
Shader cache on disk
3.0 added a cache of DXVK’s intermediate shader form. We saw it appear on Windows in %LOCALAPPDATA%\dxvk as a .dxvk.bin and a .dxvk.lut file per game (F19). DXVK_SHADER_CACHE_PATH moves it (verified) and DXVK_SHADER_CACHE=0 disables it. Details on the stutter page.
Descriptor heap
On drivers that support VK_EXT_descriptor_heap it is the default binding model, replacing the descriptor-buffer path from 2.7. Our 3.1.1 logs print the model in use: Binding model: Descriptor buffer on a Wine software driver (F20) and Descriptor heap on a Windows one in a later lab run.
Direct3D 9 changes
The fixed-function pipeline was reimplemented with ubershaders whose optimised variants compile in the background, and buffer uploads happen on demand with bounded memory, which the notes say means fewer 32-bit address-space crashes.
Removed: DXVK_FRAME_RATE
The variable is gone. With DXVK_FRAME_RATE=60 our test program ran at 184 FPS in 3.1.1; with dxvk.maxFrameRate = 60 it held about 60 (F21). See the FPS limit page.
What 3.0.1 to 3.1.1 added
| Release | Date | Main changes |
|---|---|---|
| 3.0.1 | 2026-07-05 | Fixes a Direct3D 9 regression on some drivers and a crash when DLLs unload; turns off secondary command buffers on desktop GPUs; older Intel GPUs fall back to descriptor buffers after a driver hang. |
| 3.0.2 | 2026-07-18 | Adds DXVK_DEBUG=hang to locate GPU hangs (VK_ERROR_DEVICE_LOST); fixes a slowdown for games that create a DXGI factory every frame. |
| 3.1 | 2026-08-27 | Basic DXGI incremental-present support; Direct3D 11 render-target views on buffers; better compatibility with overlays that hook DXGI. |
| 3.1.1 | 2026-09-15 | DXGI swap-chain scaling and background-colour support (reported for Adobe software); a shader compiler crash fix with some ENB shaders. |
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Requirements in practice
| Driver | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Mesa RADV (AMD) | 25.0 |
| NVIDIA proprietary | 575.51.02 |
| Mesa NVK | 25.1 |
| Mesa ANV (Intel) | 25.1 |
| Wine | 10.1 or newer |
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The wiki lists no Windows minimums: use your vendor’s current driver. The notes say descriptor heap needs NVIDIA 595.84 or newer. “Vulkan 1.4-class” means DXVK checks for features and extensions, not only the version number: our software driver reporting 1.3 still ran 3.1.1 (F33). The wiki adds that older AMD GCN cards are expected to keep working. Per-GPU answers: requirements. If your GPU cannot run 3.x or 2.x, see DXVK 1.10.3 and Sarek.
Known problems after upgrading
| Problem | What to do | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Drivers without the Vulkan 1.4-era features are unsupported | Stay on 2.7.1 or 1.10.3. | 3.0 notes |
| First-run shader compile cost is higher; the disk cache offsets it | Judge the second run. | 3.0 notes |
| RDNA1 and RDNA2 on AMD's Windows driver: severe performance issues | Stay on 2.7.1. | 3.0 notes |
| Antivirus alerts on DXVK DLLs reported in 2026 | Check the hash. | Issue 5762 |
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We tested none of these ourselves; a game-specific regression list is not included because we could not verify one.
How to roll back to 2.7.1
-
Close the game and note your current version
Open the DXVK log next to the .exe and read theDXVK: v…line.Check: The log banner shows DXVK: v3.1.1.
-
Delete the 3.x DLLs from the game folder
Delete them first, so no 3.x file stays behind (F42). -
Copy the 2.7.1 DLLs
Take the matchingx32orx64files from the 2.7.1 archive (see the download page) and start the game.Check: The log banner shows DXVK: v2.7.1.
We tested upgrading 2.7.1 to 3.1.1 in place (F42) and 2.7.1 on Windows with a current driver (F10); going back is the same file copy, which we did not test. The shader cache can stay: it is only stored shader work.
Measured: 3.1.1 vs 2.7.1
Not measured yet. A fair comparison needs real GPUs and games, which this project’s lab does not have, so there is no chart rather than a made-up one.
Questions people ask
Is DXVK 3.0 faster?
Its release notes describe memory savings and shader compilation moved to background threads, with less stutter in some titles. They do not claim a general FPS boost, and we have no game FPS measurements.
Does DXVK 3.0 work on my GPU?
It needs a Vulkan 1.4-class driver. In our lab a driver reporting Vulkan 1.3 still ran 3.1.1 because DXVK checks features, not the version number (F33), but older GPUs lack them. Use the Version Picker.
Where is the DXVK 3.0 shader cache?
On Windows in %LOCALAPPDATA%\dxvk, as a .dxvk.bin and .dxvk.lut file per game (F19).
Why doesn't DXVK_FRAME_RATE work anymore?
DXVK removed it in 3.0. Use dxvk.maxFrameRate in dxvk.conf; with the variable we measured no cap, with the config line 60 FPS (F21).
Should I use DXVK 3 on Windows with AMD?
The release notes for 3.0 say RDNA1 and RDNA2 on AMD's Windows driver should stay on 2.x because of a legacy binding model and severe performance issues. We could not test AMD hardware.
Sources
- DXVK 3.0 to 3.1.1 release notes (GitHub) · accessed 2026-11-07
- DXVK wiki: Driver support · accessed 2026-11-07
- DXVK README at v3.1.1 · accessed 2026-11-07