Measuring Input Latency on Linux: X11 vs. Wayland, VRR, and DXVK
A technical deep-dive into measuring input latency on Linux systems, comparing X11 and Wayland display protocols. The author details the construction of a custom hardware device to provide empirical data on gaming performance.
Why it matters
It provides objective methodology for Linux users to verify performance claims, moving beyond anecdotal evidence in the gaming community.
about_me imprint folder-sublime-open Created with Sketch. blog Measuring input latency on Linux: X11 vs Wayland, VRR, and DXVK Getting an old doorbell onto Home Assistant, powered by the bell itself Why 'com_maxfps 250x' uncaps Quake Live's frame rate Measuring input latency on Linux: X11 vs Wayland, VRR, and DXVK 2026-07-13 Two years ago, I switched to Linux on my gaming PC. People kept telling me that it could perform way better than Windows when it comes to FPS, frame pacing and input latency, and when I tried it out, it did feel a lot better.
The internet is full of advice on optimizing Linux for gaming:
I play competitive FPS games, so low latency, consistent frame times and high FPS matter to me. On Linux, there are countless settings to tweak for this (magic env vars, gamescope, gamemode, even more DXVK forks , and so on).
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