Omarchy Gaming Mode Toggle

A one-command setup script that strives to add a Steam Deck-like gaming mode to Omarchy (or any Arch Linux + Hyprland system). Switch seamlessly between your productive Hyprland desktop and an optimized Steam Big Picture gaming environment.

🎮 What This Does

• Toggle between environments: Press Super + F12 to instantly switch from Hyprland to Steam Big Picture mode
• Gaming-optimized: Uses gamescope compositor for better gaming performance and compatibility
• Zero configuration: Everything works out of the box after running the script

✨ Features

• 🚀 One-command setup - Run the script and you're done
• ⌨️ Keyboard shortcut - Super + F12 to switch to gaming mode
• 🔄 Bi-directional switching - Easy return to desktop from gaming mode
• 🖥️ Automatic resolution detection - Uses your current display resolution and refresh rate

📋 Requirements

• Omarchy (or Arch Linux + Hyprland)
• Steam installed via Omarchy menu (Super + Alt + Space → Install → Gaming → Steam)
• Internet connection for downloading dependencies

🚀 Installation

Quick Install

# Download the script
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cephalization/omarchy-steam-gaming-mode/main/setup-gaming-mode.sh -o setup-gaming-mode.sh

# Make it executable and run
chmod +x setup-gaming-mode.sh
./setup-gaming-mode.sh

Manual Install

git clone https://github.com/cephalization/omarchy-steam-gaming-mode.git
cd omarchy-steam-gaming-mode
chmod +x setup-gaming-mode.sh
./setup-gaming-mode.sh

🎯 Usage

Switch to Gaming Mode

• Keyboard: Press Super + F12
• Launcher: Use the 'Gaming Mode' app launcher entry
• Terminal: Run /usr/local/bin/switch-to-gaming

Return to Desktop

• From Steam Big Picture: Press Super + w or add the return shortcut to Steam Big Picture as a Non-Steam game
• Emergency exit: Ctrl + Alt + F2, then run pkill -9 gamescope

🔧 What Gets Installed

The script automatically:

• Installs gamescope (Steam's gaming compositor)
• Installs mangohud (performance monitoring)
• Creates gaming mode switch scripts in /usr/local/bin/
• Adds Super + F12 keybind to your Hyprland config

🛠️ Troubleshooting

Gaming mode won't start

• Ensure Steam is installed: Install via Omarchy menu first
• Test manually: gamescope -e -f -W 2880 -H 1920 -r 120 -- steam -tenfoot
• Check logs: Gaming mode issues are usually gamescope-related

Can't return to desktop

• Use the emergency exit: Ctrl + Alt + F2, then pkill -9 gamescope
• Check if the "Return to Desktop" shortcut exists in Steam

How do I turn off performance monitoring?

• There is no easy toggle right now, but you can remove the --mangoapp parameter from the gamescope command in the switch-to-gaming script.
  • sudo sed -i 's/--mangoapp//' /usr/local/bin/switch-to-gaming
  • Re-run the script to bring it back

🎮 Why This Is Awesome

This setup gives you the best of both worlds:

• Hyprland: Tiling window manager productivity for development and daily tasks
• Gaming Mode: Optimized Steam Big Picture experience with better game compatibility

Perfect for developers who want a productive Linux desktop but also enjoy gaming without the hassle of troubleshooting Wayland compatibility issues or suboptimal performance.

🤝 Contributing

Issues and pull requests welcome! This script is designed to be simple and reliable.

📜 License

MIT License - feel free to use and modify as needed.

🙏 Credits

• Inspired by the Steam Deck's seamless desktop/gaming mode switching
• Built for the awesome Omarchy distribution by DHH
• Uses Valve's gamescope compositor for optimal gaming performance