Valve continues to invest in the Linux ecosystem, with a focus on improving hardware support for its users.

Optimizations for AMD APUs

Timur Kristóf, a member of Valve's Linux graphics team, has recently released a series of patches aimed at improving support for older AMD APUs based on GCN 1.0 and 1.1 architectures. These changes allow these GPUs to use the more modern and performant AMDGPU driver instead of the Radeon driver, which is now in maintenance mode.

Overcoming Limitations

Previously, GCN 1.1 APUs had some limitations that prevented the use of the AMDGPU DC ("Display Core") code. Kristóf's new patches resolve these issues, enabling features such as VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), audio via DisplayPort and HDMI, and HDR (High Dynamic Range) support for Kaveri APUs and derivatives. This represents a significant step forward for Linux users using older AMD hardware.