
Live Fast, Eat Axe
Published
__NV_PRIME_RENDER_OFFLOAD=1 __GLX_VENDOR_LIBRARY_NAME=nvidia PROTON_FORCE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE=1 PROTON_USE_WINED3D=1 mangohud gamemoderun %command%
For whatever reason, this is the only game I've come across where I consistently get much better performance using WineD3D instead of DXVK. Despite what my GPU settings say, this machine has an RTX 2060 Mobile which is only utilized when using PRIME. When launching this game using DXVK, I would get unplayable framerates regardless of resolution and graphical settings - for example, at 1280x720 Low, the framerate would range from about 5-15 FPS. Once I switched from using DXVK to WineD3D, I was able to play at my monitor's maximum resolution of 1920x1080 on Ultra (minus realtime shadows) at much more playable framerates (anywhere from 30-60 FPS depending on where in the house I was, with dips down into the 20s outside when looking at the fire pit for whatever reason). I have a feeling this is just down to some weirdness with my specific computer, but if you're having issues running this game at a playable framerate then try switching to WineD3D.
The Steam overlay doesn't show your cursor on the screen unless you opt into the Steam Beta Update, and due to a Proton-specific patch for fullscreen games you cannot set the refresh rate past 60Hz. Past these minor issues, the game works flawlessly.
The game runs noticeably better with Proton and D9VK compared to the native Linux port. The native Linux version never went over 50 FPS, averaged about 40, and had many dips to mid 20 FPS, whereas Proton+D9VK generally averages around 60 FPS, with the highest framerate I've seen in game being 79 FPS and the absolute lowest dip being 35 FPS in a very intense sequence. The only thing that keeps me from wholeheartedly recommending this is there are occasional crashes when entering a vehicle that I haven't found a consistent recreation for yet. As for performance, as stated previously, it's a much better experience than the native port.
DXVK_ASYNC=1 %command%
Terrain flickers frequently when framerate is above 30
While many of the areas could run well at a 40 FPS cap, the lighting seems to break and cause the terrain to start flickering between normal lighting and either a brighter or darker version of the terrain when running higher than 30 FPS. As a result, I can only recommend playing at a 30 FPS cap. If you can handle playing at 30, however, the game plays and performs relatively well. From my experience running the game on low settings at 720p (800p is letterboxed so there's no point), you can expect around 2.5, maybe 3 hours of battery life from 100% to 0%.
Fails to launch with error
I've tried multiple different tweaks and fixes listed on this page (installing dotnet20, installing NetFX64.exe, renaming Sims3Launcher/Sims3LauncherW) with multiple versions of Proton, and no matter what the game immediately crashes with an error that says "Unable to start. Please reinstall base game." This error persists through reinstalls and I haven't been able to find a fix.