Steam Deck plugin MAKO 5.0 adds frame generation without Lossless Scaling

MAKO 5.0 drops the Lossless Scaling requirement

MAKO, a plugin for the Steam Deck and other Linux systems, has reached version 5.0 and now includes its own frame generation feature, according to Notebookcheck. The feature is called MAKO FG and replaces the plugin's previous dependence on Lossless Scaling, a paid program that users previously had to buy and install separately.

MAKO is distributed through GitHub and is managed with Decky Loader, a tool for adding plugins to the handheld. Beyond frame generation, the plugin offers image scaling and shader effects for games.

How frame generation works and its limits

Frame generation builds extra intermediate frames and places them between the frames a game actually renders, which makes movement look smoother. The technique does not raise the real frame rate, so how quickly the game reacts to controls still depends on the genuine frame rate.

At low or unstable frame rates, added latency and visual glitches can appear. Notebookcheck notes that users should expect to spend time adjusting settings to get good results.

Quality, Balanced and Performance modes

MAKO FG ships with several modes: Quality, Balanced and Performance. These control how often the plugin fully analyses motion in the picture to produce new frames.

Faster modes cut the processing load but are more likely to show visual errors during quick movement. The trade-off between speed and image quality is therefore a central setting for users to tune.

Developer benchmarks look promising

Figures from the developer suggest the feature is light on resources.

Even so, visual artifacts still turned up in a demanding staircase test. These measurements do not yet show how the plugin behaves on the Steam Deck itself, and it is too early to judge the feature's overall quality.

Mixed reactions from early users

Early impressions shared on Reddit are divided, according to Notebookcheck. Some users describe smoother visuals with only slight ghosting, while others report noticeable input lag.

A further complaint is that a displayed 60 FPS does not feel like real 60 FPS, which reflects the gap between generated and genuinely rendered frames. Anyone trying MAKO FG should treat it as an early feature and adjust the modes carefully.