Choose and fix DXVK in Lutris, Bottles and Heroic

How launchers handle DXVK

The DXVK README says tools such as Steam Play, Lutris, Bottles and Heroic set DXVK up automatically. In practice each keeps a folder of DXVK versions and puts the chosen one into the game’s Wine prefix when it starts. That is why DLLs you copy in by hand can be replaced on the next launch. Under plain Wine, DLLs are ignored unless the DLL overrides say native (F03); the launchers set those for you.

Lutris

• Change the version for one game. Right-click the game, Configure, Runner options, switch on advanced options, and pick a DXVK version. Only versions already in Lutris’s runtime can be chosen.
• “DXVK is not available”. Reported cause: the version is not downloaded. Pick another, or let Lutris fetch it, then start the game again.
• Custom or forked builds. Community guides put a build into Lutris’s DXVK runtime folder under its own name. Forks carry their own risks: read the async page. We tested none.
• Turn DXVK off. The runner options have a switch for it; WineD3D then draws the game (DXVK vs WineD3D).
• dxvk.conf and the HUD. Use the environment variables tab: DXVK_HUD=1 and DXVK_CONFIG_FILE=/path/dxvk.conf (environment variables).

Bottles

• Change the version. Install the DXVK component version you want under Preferences, Components, then pick it in the bottle’s settings.
• “No DXVK found”. Reported cause: the component is not installed. Install or select one.
• DXVK-NVAPI. Bottles has a separate toggle for it. A message that it is disabled for the bottle refers to that toggle; see the nvapi page.
• Flatpak. If Bottles is a Flatpak, a dxvk.conf must be somewhere the sandbox can see; we did not test where.

Heroic

• Where DXVK is set. In the game’s settings under Wine.
• Turning it off. A switch in the same place, as reported.
• Proton-GE versus Wine-GE. The Wine build you choose brings its own DXVK handling. We have not compared them.

Pinning a known-good version

Pin a version when a newer one regresses (see releases) or an old GPU needs 1.10.3 (1.10.3 and Sarek). Then note the version from the log banner DXVK: v... (F15), because a launcher update can change it.

Checking what actually ran

Start the game with DXVK_HUD=version or open the log: the version line says what DXVK is running (F15, F18). Launcher log locations differ; we did not record them. See error messages for what to look for.