ValveSoftware / ValveSoftware/steam-runtime

Forcing Wayland video driver in classic SDL2 makes 4K HiDPI unavailable in Source games

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Description

Your system information
  • Steam client version (build number or date): 1745876290
  • Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): Arch + Plasma Wayland
  • Opted into Steam client beta?: No
  • Have you checked for system updates?: Yes
  • Steam Logs: steam-logs.tar.gz
  • GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT
Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

I have two displays, one 4K (200% scale) and another 1080p (100% scale). Steam's Scout runtime for native Linux games seems to mistake the 4K display for a 1080p one when running Half-Life 2 or Portal 2 with SDL_VIDEODRIVER=wayland. Switching to the legacy runtime works as intended. Disabling the secondary screen doesn't seem to help.

Steps for reproducing this issue:
  1. Use a 4K primary display with scaling set to 200% (in Plasma)
  2. Put SDL_VIDEODRIVER=wayland in a Source 1 game's launch parameters (I tested Portal 2 and Half-Life 2)
  3. Launch the aforementioned game
  4. Observe incorrect 'native' display resolution detection:

Scout, monitor 1:
Image

Scout, monitor 2:
Image

Legacy, monitor 1:
Image

Legacy, monitor 2:
Image

(Sorry in advance if I'm using the wrong issue tracker, please point me to a more appropriate one if necessary)

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Research direction

Reproduce the issue with a 4K display at 200% scaling, a 1080p secondary display, and SDL_VIDEODRIVER=wayland in Portal 2 or Half-Life 2. Compare Scout and legacy runtime behavior; done means the Wayland video driver reports the correct native 4K display resolution.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
linux
Domain
desktop
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
48/100

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