eugeniosegala/MAKO render-v2.2.0

MAKO Renderer v2.2.0

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Looking for Decky integration? Download the latest MAKO Decky release.

What's new in MAKO Renderer v2.2.0

Release codename: Abyss Ascending

“Where the hidden currents meet in light, the great Mako rises without a wake.”

Cassian, Hierophant of the Abyssal Forge

MAKO Renderer’s Abyss Ascending release is built around a simple player outcome: smoother frame generation that stays responsive when a game, display, or emulator changes pace. Adaptive targets are paced more evenly, Steady 2x is retained only when it is genuinely sustainable, and recovery has a clearer path back from menus, overlays, and rate switches. Frame generation is available now; scaling is coming soon.

• Fractional Adaptive makes uneven games look steadier: A target-aware placement clock spaces generated frames more evenly when source frame times vary. It keeps real frames mandatory, stays within the selected multiplier ceiling, and gives targets such as 60-to-90 and 80-to-120 cleaner camera movement with the potential for lower input lag and ghosting.
• Smooth Cadence delivers Steady only when it can prove it: On Gamescope SDR with refresh matched to the target, MAKO tests a constant 2x cadence instead of assuming it will work. It retains that path only after proving 98–102% target delivery, then returns to the normal cap or Fractional planner immediately if conditions change.
• Ultra Performance cuts GPU work while retaining safety: The restart-only profile policy uses 75% Flow Scale, the Lighter FG Model, FP16 permission when supported, and leaner active-policy resources. It can improve frame-generation performance by up to 30% in favourable GPU-limited scenes, while refresh, HDR, presentation safety, and recovery remain active. The trade-off is more visible frame-generation artifacts.
• Recovery restores the right cadence after interruptions: Native presentation now drains generated-image pressure, rebuilds temporal history, and resumes through a guarded zero-wait probe. Dynamic Cadence Recovery can distinguish a true fixed rate from a 30 ↔ 60 FPS menu or emulator transition, allowing Adaptive to recalibrate to its target and Fixed to follow confirmed Gamescope refresh. Its 0.1–3 second probe interval is per-game and opt-in; 2 seconds is the default and 0.1 seconds is deliberately aggressive.
• Display-aware protection and lower overhead complete the path: The refresh-rate guard can pause generation at or below a chosen Gamescope threshold and resume the selected mode above it, without changing the profile. Internally, explicit frame-plan ownership, allocation-free handoff, and structured diagnostics reduce normal-path work while retaining clear evidence for pacing, load shedding, recovery, and stabilization.

🎮 In-game considerations

Every game, renderer, and display setup behaves differently. Compare Fixed and Adaptive Frame Generation one setting at a time. Fullscreen is usually the best starting point for performance and frame pacing. Restart after major display, DLL, GPU, Flow Scale, Performance Mode, or model changes.

• Adaptive target behaviour: Adaptive varies the generated-frame count toward an average target. It cannot reduce a native frame rate already above that target, and the result still depends on the selected multiplier plus available GPU and compositor capacity.
• Quality and latency tuning: Higher multipliers and lower real-frame rates can increase ghosting and input latency. Smooth Cadence may improve motion consistency while reducing responsiveness, so compare the available choices per game.

Installation

Host archive

Download MAKO-Renderer-v2.2.0-linux.tar.xz and extract it to your local prefix:

mkdir -p ~/.local
tar -xJf MAKO-Renderer-v2.2.0-linux.tar.xz -C ~/.local

The host archive includes 64-bit and 32-bit Vulkan layers; the CLI and Qt UI are 64-bit.

Start the configuration UI after extraction:

• Application menu: On Steam Deck or Steam Machine, switch to Desktop Mode and open MAKO Renderer Configuration.
• Terminal: Run ~/.local/bin/mako-ui from Konsole or another terminal. Do not run it with sudo.

Configure the licensed DLL path in the UI or ~/.config/mako-render/conf.toml, then use ~/.local/bin/mako-launch %command% for a direct Steam launch. The helper activates MAKO through its private Vulkan layer directory, prevents Steam's Vulkan Fossilize/overlay hooks and competing presentation layers from bypassing its swapchain interception, and keeps Gamescope and the Steam/Game Mode interface active outside that application chain.

Flatpak runtime extensions

Download and extract MAKO-Renderer-v2.2.0-flatpaks.tar.xz. It contains one self-contained MAKO extension for each supported Flatpak runtime. Install the extension matching the application runtime, for example:

flatpak install --user org.freedesktop.Platform.VulkanLayer.makorender-24.08.flatpak

• SHA-256: 40877511220c49914380bcf55b29247c3844dd8edbabbf853f238b2e2e66bf9b

Updating an existing MAKO Renderer installation

1. Quit every game or application currently using MAKO Renderer.
2. Download the newer host archive and extract it into the same local prefix. Existing files are replaced; your configuration remains under ~/.config/mako-render/.
3. If you use Flatpak applications, download the matching Flatpak archive and reinstall the extension for each runtime you use.
4. Restart the game. Revalidate the configuration with ~/.local/bin/mako-cli validate if you changed the DLL path or profiles.

Keep the previous archives until the new version has been tested with your games.

Known limitation

• HDR frame generation is not currently supported: HDR pipeline groundwork remains in the renderer, but MAKO does not present it as an enabled release path yet.

Before you play

• Confirm the detected Lossless.dll path. Leaving it blank permits normal discovery in common Steam locations.
• Do not combine MAKO with another Lossless Scaling Vulkan wrapper for the same game.

MAKO Renderer release assets 2.2.0

• Includes checksum-verified host archive MAKO-Renderer-v2.2.0-linux.tar.xz (SHA-256: a650584b94b50aa9cb83c7e7b1d57e9e9b17d318004d784ecd138b01b9aa2e1f).
• Includes checksum-verified Flatpak runtime archive MAKO-Renderer-v2.2.0-flatpaks.tar.xz (SHA-256: 40877511220c49914380bcf55b29247c3844dd8edbabbf853f238b2e2e66bf9b).
• The host archive contains the 64-bit and 32-bit Vulkan layers, CLI, Qt configuration UI, standalone mako-launch launcher, and desktop integration.
• Built from source commit af74087558d38edcbe034385a504914c82003ce6.