CachyOS Proton fork adds NVIDIA Reflex support for Linux gaming

CachyOS's latest proton-cachyos build bakes in NVIDIA Reflex support through the vkd3d-low-latency translation layer, according to TechPowerUp. That's the first time Reflex — NVIDIA's sub-30ms input lag API — has shipped in a Proton fork. Valve's mainline Proton still doesn't include it.

The implementation translates DirectX 12 Reflex calls to Vulkan on the fly. Games that already support Reflex on Windows (Warzone, Valorant, Fortnite, Apex) can now tap the same latency reduction on Linux without the developer doing anything. Previous vkd3d builds included AMD's Anti-Lag equivalent, but this is the first cross-vendor low-latency layer for Linux.

Reflex cuts system latency by syncing the CPU and GPU render queues. On a tuned rig, it can shave 10–20ms off your click-to-pixel time. That's the difference between landing a shot and eating one in Warzone's 200ms average human reaction window.

CachyOS is a performance-focused Arch derivative popular with Steam Deck tweakers. The proton-cachyos fork ships faster than Valve's official build because it skips the multi-distro compatibility testing. You install it manually — it's not in the Steam client's Proton dropdown yet.

If you're running Linux and an NVIDIA GPU, grab the build from CachyOS's GitHub and test it in a Reflex-compatible game. Then run a fresh optimize playbook to make sure your settings line up with the new latency target.