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Intel-Arc-Gaming-Omarchy/README.md
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2026-04-07 00:52:58 +01:00

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Intel Arc Gaming - Omarchy

Video Guide

SteamOS-like gaming mode for Intel Arc discrete GPUs on Omarchy (Arch Linux + Hyprland). Press Super+Shift+S to enter a full-screen Steam Big Picture gaming session powered by Gamescope, just like the Steam Deck.

Built specifically for Intel Arc Alchemist (A770, A750, A580, A380) and Battlemage GPUs.

Requirements

  • OS: Omarchy (Arch Linux)
  • GPU: Intel Arc discrete GPU (Alchemist or Battlemage)
  • AUR Helper: yay or paru

Quick Start

git clone https://git.no-signal.uk/nosignal/Intel-Arc-Gaming-Omarchy.git
cd Intel-Arc-Gaming-Omarchy
chmod +x ARCGames_installv2.sh
./ARCGames_installv2.sh

After installation, press Super+Shift+S to enter Gaming Mode.

What It Does

1. Installs Gaming Dependencies

  • Steam and 32-bit libraries
  • Gamescope (Steam Deck compositor)
  • MangoHud (FPS overlay)
  • GameMode (performance optimizer)
  • Vulkan drivers for Intel Arc

2. Mesa Driver Selection

Option Description
mesa-git (default) Latest development build from AUR — best Intel Arc support
mesa stable Official Arch repo version — more stable but may lag on Arc features

Mesa-git is recommended for Intel Arc because Arc GPU support is actively being improved in Mesa's development branch.

3. Gaming Mode Session

Same session switching mechanism as Super-Shift-S-Omarchy-Deck-Mode, adapted for Intel Arc:

  • Super+Shift+S — Switch from Hyprland to Gaming Mode (Gamescope + Steam Big Picture)
  • Super+Shift+R — Return from Gaming Mode to Hyprland desktop
  • Steam's Power > Exit to Desktop also works

4. Performance Tuning

  • GPU performance mode for Intel Arc
  • CPU governor set to performance during gaming
  • PipeWire low-latency audio configuration
  • Shader cache optimization (12GB Mesa/DXVK cache)
  • Memory lock limits for esync/fsync

5. External Drive Support

Auto-detects and mounts drives containing Steam libraries during Gaming Mode. Supports ext4, NTFS, btrfs, exFAT, and more.

6. NetworkManager Integration

Handles the iwd-to-NetworkManager handoff that Steam requires for its network settings UI (same approach as the NVIDIA version).

Supported Intel Arc GPUs

Series GPUs Codename
Battlemage B580, B570 Xe2
Alchemist A770, A750, A580, A380, A310 Xe HPG

Note: Intel integrated GPUs (UHD, Iris Xe) are NOT supported for Gaming Mode. A discrete Intel Arc GPU is required.

Usage

Command-Line Options

./ARCGames_installv2.sh              # Full installation
./ARCGames_installv2.sh --version    # Show version
./ARCGames_installv2.sh --help       # Show help

After Installation

Action Keybind
Enter Gaming Mode Super + Shift + S
Return to Desktop Super + Shift + R
Exit (fallback) Steam > Power > Exit to Desktop

Configuration

Edit /etc/gaming-mode.conf or ~/.gaming-mode.conf:

PERFORMANCE_MODE=enabled    # Set to "disabled" to skip performance tuning
USE_MESA_GIT=1              # 1 = mesa-git (AUR), 0 = stable mesa

Uninstalling

chmod +x ARCGames_uninstall.sh
./ARCGames_uninstall.sh

The uninstaller supports --dry-run to preview what would be removed:

./ARCGames_uninstall.sh --dry-run

What Gets Removed

  • All gaming mode scripts (/usr/local/bin/switch-to-*, gaming-*, etc.)
  • Udev rules, sudoers files, polkit rules
  • SDDM gaming session config
  • PipeWire, shader cache, and memlock configs
  • Hyprland gaming mode keybind
  • Gamescope capabilities

What Is NOT Removed

  • Installed packages (Steam, mesa-git, gamescope)
  • User game data and Steam libraries
  • User group memberships

Mesa-git Recovery

If the installer is interrupted during the mesa driver swap, your system may have no graphics driver. Recover from a TTY:

sudo pacman -S mesa lib32-mesa vulkan-intel lib32-vulkan-intel

Troubleshooting

Gaming Mode doesn't start / black screen

  • Verify Intel Arc is detected: lspci | grep -i "arc\|alchemist\|battlemage"
  • Check Vulkan works: vulkaninfo --summary
  • Check session logs: journalctl --user -u gamescope-session -n 50

Poor performance / stuttering

  • Make sure mesa-git is installed: pacman -Q mesa-git
  • Check GPU frequency: sudo intel_gpu_top
  • Verify GameMode is active: gamemoded -s

Steam shows wrong GPU

  • Check Intel Arc Vulkan device is selected in the launcher script
  • Verify with: vulkaninfo | grep deviceName

Credits

  • Omarchy - The Arch Linux distribution this was built for
  • Valve - Steam, Gamescope, and the Steam Deck
  • ChimeraOS - gamescope-session packages
  • Mesa - Open-source GPU drivers

License

This project is provided as-is for the Omarchy community.