---
title: Setting up gamemoderun correctly
summary: I surprisingly didn't do it right the first time
updatedAt: 1750484506000
---

[GameMode](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/GameMode) is a handy tool that applies a few performance tweaks and optimisations for gaming on linux. I initially installed it and started using it but I realised I hadn't actually _configured_ it at all...

```bash
yay -Syu gamemoderun lib32-gamemode
```

Once installed then add yourself to the gamemode user group

```bash
sudo gpasswd -a $USER gamemode
```

Then add the following to `/etc/gamemode.ini`:

```toml
[general]
reaper_freq=5
renice=10
inhibit_screensaver=1
disable_splitlock=1

[custom]
start=notify-send -a "GameMode" "GameMode started"
end=notify-send -a "GameMode" "GameMode ended"
```

Now you can update your steam games launch options to the following:

```bash
gamemoderun %command%
```

However, since I have a 4K HDR monitor I use the following to enable HDR in games:

```bash
DXVK_HDR=1 gamemoderun gamescope -W 3840 -H 2160 -f --hdr-enabled -- %command%
```