Some games freeze when on screen while working underneath. [SOLVED]

Quarch · 2026-06-24 19:00:38

I have a recent install, using X and I3.
I've tried to start gaming on this install, but some games don't work. They start but when they are on screen the computer becomes unresponsive, the image freezes while the audio keeps working and the mouse moves normally.
It takes a while but eventually it is possible to switch to another workspace. Switching back takes a while too, and a single frame is rendered before freezing again, which demonstrates that the game is actually running underneath.

Other programs run fine while on another workspace, and a system monitor shows that nothing is consuming excessive resources.
The problem affects only some games, I haven't found any native game that had it. Examples of wine games that run fine are Hyper Demon and Satisfactory. Examples of games that have this problem are ULTRAKILL and Risk of Rain 2. All of these examples i've run through steam. The problem seems to persist in any version of proton. I've also tried a couple games from the epic store using the heroic launcher, Citizen Sleeper and Robobeat. Both ran into the problem.

The games can be force stopped or stopped from the launcher and everything to normal.

My gpu is a Nvidia GTX 750ti. I'm using propietary drivers.

I'd be thankful for any help finding out what the problem is.

Last edited by Quarch (2026-06-24 21:20:24)

seth · 2026-06-24 19:46:21

the audio keeps working and the mouse moves normally … Other programs run fine while on another workspace

All of these examples i've run through steam.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Steam/ … _emulation

Do you also run a compositor (picom) next to i3wm?

Quarch · 2026-06-24 20:36:09

Thanks for answering.
I only run I3wm, with a config that is close to defaults.

Forcing OpenGL emulation didn't seem to change anything.

I ran Steam in a terminal and when launching the missbehaving games I noticed this line among it's output:
"WARNING: discarding _NET_WM_PID 13 as invalid for X11 window - use specialized XCB_X11_TO_PID function!", I don't now if it might have something to do with the problem.

Most importantly, I tried an even older version of Proton, specifically 7.0 -6, and the games started working well. I thought I tried this before but I guess I made a mistake or forgot something.

I guess I could mark this as solved, though I would like to know why newer versions are giving me this issue and whether it is normal. Maybe Proton dropped support for the 580 drivers that my card uses?

seth · 2026-06-24 20:49:37

I don't now if it might have something to do with the problem.

flatschpak version of steam?
The unreasonably low PID is a common artifact of container systems.
Does steam report to be rendering on the nvidia GPU?

Also maybe https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Steam/ … n_in_focus ?

Quarch · 2026-06-24 21:19:29

I use the multilib steam package.

Steam shows the correct card and drivers on system information.

Looks like ForceFullCompositionPipeline was indeed causing the problem. I missed that fix, expected to find it in the graphics section, thanks.
I had it on to solve screen tearing issues, but it seems to cause quite some trouble of its own. I might try Wayland on my next install.

Last edited by Quarch (2026-06-24 21:21:10)

LinuxLover471 · Yesterday 17:18:55

@Quarch
You can also try using ForceCompositionPipeline, it works for me on 470xx GT 740, and it fixes tearing, though sometimes some games require me to explicitly enable vsync in-game, or FFCP, though that's quite uncommon.

Since your issue is fixed, please add "[SOLVED]" to the start of the subject, so that others know there is nothing else left to solve.

Arch Linux

#1 2026-06-24 19:00:38

Some games freeze when on screen while working underneath. [SOLVED]

#2 2026-06-24 19:46:21

Re: Some games freeze when on screen while working underneath. [SOLVED]

#3 2026-06-24 20:36:09

Re: Some games freeze when on screen while working underneath. [SOLVED]

#4 2026-06-24 20:49:37

Re: Some games freeze when on screen while working underneath. [SOLVED]

#5 2026-06-24 21:19:29

Re: Some games freeze when on screen while working underneath. [SOLVED]

#6 Yesterday 17:18:55

Re: Some games freeze when on screen while working underneath. [SOLVED]

Board footer