HelixSR Decky 0.1.36: faster game selection and verified file repair

Decky 0.1.36 fixes repeated library scans when opening a game dropdown, adds safe recovery for missing HelixSR files, and selects HelixSR 2.0.0 by default.

• The panel reuses its game list across dropdowns and remounts. Selecting a game still checks its current status. Manual Refresh, imports and completed operations refresh the list; an operation finishing while the panel is closed also invalidates it.
• Missing files such as amd_fidelityfx_upscaler_dx12.dll now offer Repair HelixSR files as the main action when the exact recorded package and required originals can be verified. The confirmation lists the files to restore. Repair never overwrites a file that appears during the operation, and preserves unrelated files and settings.
• Missing or changed packages, changed game files/builds, running games and Steam updates still block repair with specific guidance. Steam verification does not reinstall HelixSR-added files or reconcile the plugin's installation record.
• HelixSR 2.0.0 (recommended) is selected by default. 1.9.3 and 1.8.1 are labeled as older releases. Package review means the plugin supports and checks the package's files and installation steps; it is not a maintainer approval queue or a guarantee of compatibility with every game.
• Repeated status text is reduced, and release discovery results survive dropdown remounts.

This continues the existing beta release line. It changes plugin management and recovery, not the upstream renderer. No new Spider-Man 2 gameplay or physical Steam Deck controller result is claimed.

Validation at df9bd50c36417f022feac2320a3df1dd47b9614c:

• 104 frontend tests, typecheck, production build and dependency audit passed.
• Full Linux CI: 648 backend tests, 52 skipped without Qt; native Qt CI: 648 tests, 4 skipped. Both workflows passed, including AppImage smoke checks. The desktop build-only setuptools pin was updated to 84.1.0 to clear its dependency audit.
• Compiled React integration tests cover panel remounts, default selection, repair confirmation and refresh.
• Steam Deck: three game dropdown selections caused zero library rescans; manual Refresh caused one. The selected game's status was still read each time. The old 0.1.35 behavior was reproduced first.
• All 54 installed plugin files match the release ZIP. Fifteen isolated repair and HelixSR 2.0 installation tests passed on the Deck, including missing native and Scaler DLLs, changed-file refusal, rollback and create-only repair writes. Existing managed games remained enabled with no review issues.

Spider-Man 2 itself was not installed on the test Deck. Its missing native-upscaler DLL condition was covered by the isolated native replacement test; this is not a Spider-Man 2 gameplay validation.

Install through Plugin updates → Check for updates, or use the HelixSR-Decky-0.1.36.zip asset in Decky. The source archive is for developers and cannot be installed as a plugin. Plugin updates do not automatically repair or modify a game's files.

HelixSR Decky 0.1.35: game-details recovery and tested compatibility notes

HelixSR Decky 0.1.35 fixes a game-details request that could leave the game picker and Refresh button disabled indefinitely. A 30-second deadline restores UI control; pending reads are shared, and late results cannot replace a newer selection.

The Pragmata settings card and guide now include the tested XeSS startup failure. This remains an experimental integration release, with no claim of working or faster frame generation on Steam Deck.

Validation:

• 96 frontend tests, typecheck and build passed.
• Native Steam Deck backend: 636 tests run, 52 skipped; current-commit GitHub Build and test passed.
• Repeated live concurrent scans found 13 games in 1.06-1.10 seconds without blocking the UI event loop. Unsupported/32-bit game changes were refused.
• Installed package and managed Pragmata payload hashes verified. Live 30-second timeout recovery, game switching and rejection of the late old-game result checked on Deck.
• HelixSR neural SR and FSR 3.1.5 each rendered short moving Shelter captures with FG Off and no nearly-black frames. Capture cadence was about 39 packets/second for both; this is not hardware display FPS or input-latency evidence.

Known gameplay limits:

• HelixSR Light 2x flickers in the tested Pragmata setup.
• Full 2x previously removed the alternating black frames but did not demonstrate a speed gain.
• FSR FG worsened pacing. XeSS 2x, native FG Off and no GPU spoof, failed before gameplay with DXGI_ERROR_INVALID_CALL (0x887a0001).
• FG Off recovery loaded Shelter and accepted movement. Physical responsiveness and endurance remain unverified. Keep FG Off for this setup.

Install HelixSR-Decky-0.1.35.zip through Decky. The source tarball is for developers. SHA256SUMS covers both downloads. The plugin contains no HelixSR DLLs or generated model weights; official upstream assets are prepared locally.

Decky 0.1.34: Scaler menu access and experimental FG controls

This experimental Decky release makes the upscaler, FG provider and supported multiplier directly accessible, adds a clear guide to the interactive Scaler settings menu and L4 mapping, fixes FG Off reporting/recovery, and retains explicit DX12 confirmation for the same executable after a reviewed install or update. Advanced tuning remains collapsible and dormant provider settings are preserved.

This is a plugin controls and reliability update, not a general frame-generation performance fix.

Tested on Steam Deck / Pragmata

• Existing L4 = Insert was confirmed physically by the user. REFramework was moved to Home through its supported setting; independent Scaler open/close and persistence were checked after restart. The plugin shows the configured shortcut and opens the selected game's controller settings. It does not automatically remap Steam Input or claim physical verification on other devices.
• Light 2x produced intense alternating scene/black flicker. A Present-based timing test did not fix it: 364 of 721 captured frames were nearly black.
• Full 2x removed that flicker in a 15-second moving Shelter capture, but did not provide a performance gain. The capture averaged about 32.7 frames/sec versus 37.5 with FG Off.
• FSR upscaler-input 2x reached moving gameplay but worsened pacing, averaging about 12.4 captured frames/sec in the same short capture method. Native game FG was Off for this test.
• These are short instrumented captures, not an endurance or input-latency benchmark. Physical Full-mode responsiveness remains unverified. XeSS FG remains gameplay-untested. Neural HelixSR upscaling is not established by these AMD FSR upscaling tests.
• The tested Deck was restored to plugin/native FG Off, AMD FSR upscaling and official Proton 11.0-2. Temporary spoofing and timing overrides were removed. FG Off remains the recommendation for this setup.

Validation

• Native Deck backend: 636 tests, 52 skips, no failures.
• Frontend: 92/92; typecheck, build and release-package validation passed.
• GitHub Build and test passed for commit 8390ad5.
• Installed candidate files were hash-verified. Settings persisted across plugin reload and the confirmed game update; the redundant DX12 prompt cleared.

Downloads

Install HelixSR-Decky-0.1.34.zip through Decky. The source tarball is for developers and is not an installable plugin. Verify downloads against SHA256SUMS.

The plugin contains code only. HelixSR binaries and NVIDIA-derived weights are prepared locally under their upstream licenses. See UPGRADE_2.0.md in the source for provider requirements and compatibility limits.

Decky 0.1.30: HelixSR 1.9.3 and streamlined installation

Decky 0.1.30: HelixSR 1.9.3 and simpler installation

Supports the exact reviewed HelixSR 1.9.3 release and Scaler 1.0.6. The official converter runs unchanged and builds the network locally on your device.

• Fixes repeated updates after migrating older Scaler configuration.
• Validates modern cache provenance and rejects unsafe reverse migrations before file changes.
• Places game/release selection and installation together, groups version/update controls, raises Import games, and collapses optional settings.
• Preserves original game files, installation records and alternative FG settings. HelixSR's own FG is unavailable upstream; use game or Scaler controls for supported alternatives.

Validation: Astra source review completed with no remaining actionable findings; 586 native Deck backend tests (51 skips), 86 frontend tests, typecheck/build and package checks passed. The real converter built 120 shaders. Plugin 0.1.30 and HelixSR 1.9.3 were installed on Steam Deck. PRAGMATA and Monster Hunter Wilds rendered title sequences with fresh neural dispatch logs and the installed DLL mapped. This is not a gameplay, performance or FG benchmark.

Install HelixSR-Decky-0.1.30.zip through Decky's ZIP installer or the plugin updater. The source tarball is for developers and cannot be installed as a Decky runtime.

Only plugin code is included. NVIDIA-derived weights, shader packs and upstream binaries are not distributed. Checksums are in SHA256SUMS.

Build dependencies use pinned hashes, isolated NumPy installation and complete atomic cache generations. Frozen desktop bootstrap resource/interpreter handling and strict modern preparation validation have regression coverage.

Decky 0.1.29: reviewed HelixSR compatibility install

Fixes the installation dead end reported as Unexpected upstream package layout: LICENSE-APACHE-2.0 by adding an explicit reviewed compatibility-release choice.

After updating, select your game and choose Release to install → Compatible HelixSR 1.8.1. Select Install/Update and review the displayed 1.8.1 version, affected files and version-specific terms before confirming.

Latest upstream checks still show the newest official HelixSR release. HelixSR 1.9.3 changed its setup license, converter output and Scaler engine; this update does not install that newer engine. Selecting unsupported Latest upstream now explains what to choose before downloading or building, instead of failing on an obsolete filename requirement. No silent fallback or downgrade occurs.

Compatibility preparation uses the exact reviewed official 1.8.1 archive, verifies its SHA256 and generated model, and keeps the selected version bound through review, terms and the installation job. Newer or unverified installed versions are blocked from being downgraded. Existing ownership, anti-cheat, restoration and frame-generation guards remain.

Both the Decky plugin and standalone desktop app have this option. See the Decky installation guide or desktop guide.

Validated with source builds, focused policy and complete cached-install regressions, interface propagation/remount checks and native Linux/Qt release tests. The official 1.8.1 archive and legacy converter contract were also verified. No fresh game build or gameplay test was performed; the Steam Deck was unreachable. No proprietary binaries or generated networks are bundled in these manager downloads.

v0.1.28 - Game discovery recovery

Fixes game-library recovery problems reported after v0.1.27.

• Slow library scans now retain their results after the 30-second UI timeout. Press Refresh library and status to retrieve a completed scan instead of starting over and losing the results again.
• Missing optional SQLite support no longer prevents the backend and Steam discovery from starting. Lutris falls back to its game configuration files with an explanatory discovery note.

Update through Plugin updates, then refresh the library. If the plugin backend previously failed to start, restart Decky after updating. If games are still missing, include the Discovery notes and your launcher/library location in a bug report, with personal details removed.

Validation: regression reproduced against v0.1.27; 84 frontend tests, TypeScript check and build passed. Missing-SQLite and launcher discovery regression tests passed. Linux CI passed: 515 backend tests with native Qt coverage and no skips; plugin-only CI skips the 47 Qt tests covered by that native job. Source and AppImage UI smoke checks, dependency audits and exact committed-source/runtime archive verification also passed. This is not confirmation of the reporting viewer's device or library layout.

The install ZIP is code-only. Complete plugin source and SHA256SUMS are included. No provider DLLs, model weights or game assets are bundled. Compatibility and file-restoration guards are unchanged.

HelixSR Decky 0.1.27: game list and backend loading fixes

Fixes game-list visibility and backend startup regressions reported after v0.1.23.

• Detected games remain in the Game dropdown even when installation is blocked. Select a game to see its diagnostic reason and next step.
• Optional Witcher 3 menu-label XML parsers load only when needed. Missing parsers can no longer prevent the plugin backend from starting.
• A library read that takes longer than 30 seconds shows a clear error. Refresh and panel remounts share the outstanding scan instead of queuing duplicate scans.
• Protected or blocked games cannot enable the Proton OptiScaler proxy. Anti-cheat helpers remain excluded from game executable choices.

For the skate/reSkate report: these changes address hidden diagnostics and a reproduced backend startup failure. They do not establish reSkate gameplay compatibility. Anti-cheat files still block injection; selecting a different executable does not override that protection.

Install HelixSR-Decky-0.1.27.zip, or use Plugin updates → Check plugin updates. If the existing plugin backend cannot start, use Decky Settings → Developer → Install plugin from URL with the v0.1.27 install ZIP, then restart Decky if needed. The .tar.gz and GitHub Source code downloads are developer source, not installable plugins.

Validation: 74 frontend tests; 513 Linux backend/desktop tests with zero skips in native desktop CI; typecheck, production build, dependency audits, release validation, and source/AppImage smoke checks. Windows also passed 513 tests with 64 platform-dependent skips. No physical Steam Deck or viewer-gameplay validation is claimed.

This release contains plugin code, complete source, licences and notices. No game assets, provider DLLs, NVIDIA-derived weights, kernels or shader overrides are included.

Desktop 0.1.18: reviewed HelixSR compatibility install

Fixes the installation dead end reported as Unexpected upstream package layout: LICENSE-APACHE-2.0 by adding an explicit reviewed compatibility-release choice.

After updating, select your game and choose Release to install → Compatible HelixSR 1.8.1. Select Install/Update and review the displayed 1.8.1 version, affected files and version-specific terms before confirming.

Latest upstream checks still show the newest official HelixSR release. HelixSR 1.9.3 changed its setup license, converter output and Scaler engine; this update does not install that newer engine. Selecting unsupported Latest upstream now explains what to choose before downloading or building, instead of failing on an obsolete filename requirement. No silent fallback or downgrade occurs.

Compatibility preparation uses the exact reviewed official 1.8.1 archive, verifies its SHA256 and generated model, and keeps the selected version bound through review, terms and the installation job. Newer or unverified installed versions are blocked from being downgraded. Existing ownership, anti-cheat, restoration and frame-generation guards remain.

Both the Decky plugin and standalone desktop app have this option. See the Decky installation guide or desktop guide.

Validated with source builds, focused policy and complete cached-install regressions, interface propagation/remount checks and native Linux/Qt release tests. The official 1.8.1 archive and legacy converter contract were also verified. No fresh game build or gameplay test was performed; the Steam Deck was unreachable. No proprietary binaries or generated networks are bundled in these manager downloads.

HelixSR Decky 0.1.26: optional Witcher 3 menu labels

Adds an optional Use HelixSR menu labels switch for The Witcher 3, Steam direct-replacement route. It changes the native menu's AMD FSR Upscaling option to Helix SR. It is off by default and uses the existing review and confirmation flow.

Turning the option off restores the exact original menu resource. Disabling or removing the managed HelixSR installation also restores it. Quality choices and frame-generation labels are unchanged. Recovery tracks the original durably, including interrupted first-time opt-ins, and refuses unexpected resource or backup changes.

This is an experimental cosmetic feature. The installed menu resource was checked without changing the game, but the visible menu has not been physically tested. Its label does not prove the active upscaler, image quality or frame generation. It requires the game to be closed and a readable Linux process view.

PRAGMATA, Control / Ultimate Edition, CONTROL Resonant, Crimson Desert and Ace Combat 8 have no available menu-label adapter in this release. They are not advertised as compatible. See the menu-label guide for the specific limitations.

For Decky installation, download HelixSR-Decky-0.1.26.zip. The .tar.gz and GitHub Source code downloads are developer source, not installable plugins.

The release contains plugin code and complete source, licences and notices. No game assets, provider DLLs, NVIDIA-derived weights, kernels or shader overrides are included. No devices or real game installations were modified for this release.

v0.1.25: clearer install downloads and loading repair

Use the Decky install ZIP or Plugin updates in the plugin.

This release fixes the download packaging that can cause Failed to fetch dynamically imported module after installing a developer source ZIP. Decky accepted that archive even though it had no compiled frontend. Developer source is now a separate .tar.gz; the install ZIP includes the required interface.

If you installed a source ZIP, first uninstall HelixSR Decky only through Decky Settings → Plugins. Keep game modifications, settings/data folders and installation records. Then install the ZIP linked above through Decky Settings → Developer → Install Plugin from ZIP File, confirm the installation and reopen HelixSR. This avoids leaving the broken source folder selected. Full repair steps.

New release checks reject missing frontend files, wrong module type, source ZIPs in the release, checksum errors and stale install links. They also validate the developer source archive. The runtime and source downloads both have SHA256SUMS entries.

Validation: 12 new release regressions, 66 frontend tests, typecheck/build, updater tests and dependency audits. The native Linux/Qt pipeline passed all 484 backend tests and source/frozen desktop smoke checks. The exact packaged frontend also passes import, factory and cleanup checks with mocked Decky globals. These checks do not establish Steam Deck rendering or gameplay compatibility. The Deck was unreachable during this repair. The viewer's selected file and full error remain unknown; other loading causes need their exact error and Decky/SteamOS versions.

Code and source only. No game installations are changed by this plugin update, and no HelixSR binaries, generated weights or shader assets are bundled. Desktop remains 0.1.17.