Use Power Saver on battery, Balanced for ordinary work, and Performance for demanding games while the charger is connected. On a hybrid laptop, keep the integrated GPU for light tasks and launch games on the dedicated GPU. Enable variable refresh rate (VRR) when your display supports it, use fractional scaling for readability, and configure each controller in Steam Big Picture Mode. Ubuntu 26.04 adds a battery-aware Power Profiles Manager, improved VRR and fractional scaling, smoother high-refresh cursor behavior, better NVIDIA desktop behavior, and an NTSYNC driver that can improve Wine and Proton compatibility in applicable games.
There is no universal battery-hours or frames-per-second figure: capacity, brightness, refresh rate, GPU, thermals, driver, game and battery health determine the result. The settings below give you a repeatable way to choose the right trade-off and verify it on your own hardware.
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What changed in Ubuntu 26.04
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, codenamed Resolute Raccoon, released on 23 April 2026 and ships with Linux kernel 7.0. Its power and graphics changes matter most on newer laptops.
- Power Profiles Manager: Ubuntu says it now supports more newer-hardware features, particularly AMD systems, can use multiple optimization drivers, and is battery-aware. It can automatically increase optimization levels while the computer is running only on battery.
- Gaming synchronization: An NTSYNC driver emulates Windows NT synchronization primitives for Wine and Proton. That creates performance or compatibility potential for supported games; it is not a guaranteed frame-rate increase in every title.
- Display behavior: Release documentation describes improved VRR and fractional scaling, smoother cursor behavior at a display’s maximum refresh rate, and a smoother desktop with NVIDIA drivers.
These are platform capabilities, not one-click guarantees. Firmware, the installed graphics driver, desktop session, monitor and individual game still determine the result.
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Choose a profile before changing game settings
Power Profiles Manager controls how aggressively the system favors efficiency or sustained clocks. Profile names and availability vary with the laptop’s firmware and hardware, so your menu may not show every option.
| Situation | Profile | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Travel, classes or meetings with no charger | Power Saver | Ubuntu describes this as the profile that maximizes battery life. It reduces power demand and may limit sustained performance. |
| Web, office, coding and mixed everyday work | Balanced | A practical compromise when the hardware exposes it; it avoids the higher draw of Performance without imposing the strongest limits of Power Saver. |
| Demanding game or GPU workload on AC | Performance | Prioritizes higher sustained clocks and is associated with higher power use. Use it when the game actually needs the headroom. |
Set Power Saver on battery
- Open the desktop power menu, or open Settings and select Power.
- Choose Power Saver before unplugging or as soon as you switch to battery.
- Confirm that the profile indicator changes. If Power Saver is unavailable, the laptop’s firmware or driver may expose only a subset of modes.
Power Saver does not make a high-load game efficient enough to run indefinitely. A discrete GPU, bright high-refresh display and intensive Proton workload can still drain a battery quickly.
Use Balanced as the normal default
Balanced is the sensible starting point for browsing, documents, development and video playback when it is offered. If your system exposes only Power Saver and Performance, use Power Saver for mobility and Performance only for a connected, demanding workload.
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Switch to Performance after connecting AC power when a game needs stable clocks, then return to Balanced or Power Saver when you finish. Performance consumes more energy and can raise fan noise and temperature; it is not a quality setting by itself.
Understand NVIDIA Dynamic Boost
On supported NVIDIA laptops, Dynamic Boost can shift available power between CPU and GPU under load. Ubuntu documents that it is active only on AC when its conditions are met and is not engaged on battery. In a game, that can give the GPU more power, but it cannot overcome thermal limits, an inadequate adapter or a game that is CPU-bound.
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Battery-life tuning that does not break games
Profile selection is the highest-impact software control, but the display and workload often dominate the result.
- Lower brightness when practical: The panel is a continuous load, especially on bright high-resolution screens.
- Use a lower refresh rate away from AC: A 60 Hz mode can consume less than a 120 or 165 Hz mode, depending on the panel and driver. Re-enable the maximum rate for gaming on AC if motion clarity matters.
- Close unused launchers and background workloads: Compilers, browser tabs with active video, virtual machines and synchronization jobs can keep CPU or GPU units awake.
- Keep the integrated GPU for light work: Driving the desktop on the integrated GPU avoids waking the discrete chip for simple tasks.
- Check thermals and vents: Dust or blocked airflow can force throttling, causing poor performance while still consuming substantial power.
Do not promise a fixed percentage or number of extra hours. Battery capacity, health, brightness, refresh rate, GPU type, temperature and the exact workload vary too much, and Ubuntu’s published material does not provide a controlled battery-life percentage.
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Graphics settings for sustained Linux gaming
Install the supported driver for your GPU
Use Ubuntu’s supported driver path for the installed GPU rather than mixing random vendor packages. Ubuntu’s Steam guidance covers dedicated-GPU use and Mesa or graphics-version changes; follow the branch appropriate to your hardware. A driver that is correct for one GPU generation may be wrong for another, so record the GPU model and the driver offered by Ubuntu before changing anything.
Route games to the dedicated GPU on hybrid laptops
Hybrid systems normally keep the integrated GPU active for the desktop and use the discrete GPU for demanding applications. Launching a game on the discrete GPU can substantially improve rendering performance, but it increases heat and power draw and may reduce battery life. On battery, keep the integrated GPU unless a short, performance-critical session justifies the drain.
After changing the GPU selection, restart the game and verify the result with an on-screen monitor. A game that remains CPU-bound may show little improvement even when the discrete GPU is working correctly.
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Enable VRR when the complete chain supports it
Variable refresh rate lets a compatible display change its refresh timing to follow frame delivery. Enable VRR in the monitor’s own menu and in the Ubuntu display or graphics controls when the driver exposes the option. Ubuntu 26.04 includes improved VRR support, but the monitor, cable, connector, compositor and game must all cooperate. If you see flicker or unstable behavior, test a fixed refresh rate and compare frame pacing.
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Select a readable fractional scale
Fractional scaling is useful on high-density panels where 100% is too small and 200% is too large. Ubuntu 26.04 improves fractional-scaling behavior. Choose the lowest scale that remains comfortable, then test a game separately: some titles render their own UI and may not follow the desktop scale.
Use MangoHud as a diagnostic
MangoHud can display frame rate, frame time, GPU load and other runtime observations. Ubuntu lists it among its Steam graphics and performance resources. Use it to answer specific questions:
- Is the game GPU-bound or waiting on the CPU?
- Are frame times spiking even when the average frame rate looks high?
- Does the discrete GPU wake up when the game starts?
- Does Performance mode change sustained clocks on AC?
MangoHud measures behavior; it does not make a game faster. Compare the same scene, resolution, profile and driver when testing a change.
Steam, Proton and Ubuntu 26.04
The Steam client is available as a snap. Ubuntu’s Steam documentation groups the relevant tasks into Steam Play and Proton setup, dedicated-GPU selection, Mesa or graphics-version changes, MangoHud, controller setup and troubleshooting.
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Choose native Linux or Proton deliberately
If a game provides a native Linux build, test it first, then compare Proton when a feature or performance issue requires it. Proton can provide access to Windows-only titles, but compatibility, anti-cheat behavior, video playback and input handling differ by game. A profile that works well for one title is not automatically best for another.
What NTSYNC can and cannot do
Ubuntu 26.04’s NTSYNC driver emulates WinNT synchronization primitives used by Wine and Proton. In games that use the relevant synchronization paths, this can improve compatibility or reduce synchronization overhead. It is a potential improvement, not a universal FPS uplift. Keep the game’s Proton version and launch options recorded when comparing results so you can revert a change that introduces a regression.
A repeatable performance test
- Connect the charger and select Performance.
- Launch the game on the dedicated GPU if the laptop is hybrid.
- Use the same resolution, graphics preset, scene and frame-rate cap for each comparison.
- Enable MangoHud and observe frame time, GPU load and any power-related indicators.
- Repeat in Balanced, then repeat on battery only if you need an endurance estimate; do not compare a battery run with a different scene or preset.
- Return to Balanced or Power Saver after testing.
This process identifies the setting that helps your title without pretending that one profile wins every game.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Configure Xbox, PlayStation and USB controllers in Steam
Steam Input supports Steam Controller, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch Pro, Steam Link App Mobile Touch Controller, PlayStation 3 and DirectInput gamepads. A Linux-compatible Xbox controller or a USB DirectInput gamepad can therefore be a practical choice, but no particular brand is required.
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- Connect the USB controller or pair the wireless device through Ubuntu’s Bluetooth controls.
- Open Steam and enter Big Picture Mode.
- Open Settings > Controller.
- Confirm that the device appears in the detected-controller list.
- Enable the configuration support that matches the controller type, such as Xbox or PlayStation support.
- Open the target game’s controller layout, select a suitable Steam Input layout, and test every stick, trigger, button and menu action.
Per-game layouts matter. A title may use Steam Input, expose a native Linux controller path, or run through Proton with different button labels. Save the working layout for that game and keep a keyboard-and-mouse fallback for unusual input handling.
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Fix a controller that Steam cannot see
Start with the physical path: try another USB port or cable, confirm that Bluetooth reports the device as connected, and check whether Ubuntu detects movement in a joystick test. If the Steam snap cannot access the device, Ubuntu documents checking its joystick, hardware-observe and uinput connections.
- Close Steam completely.
- Install the device rules package with
sudo apt install --no-install-recommends steam-devices. - Reopen Steam and return to Big Picture Mode > Settings > Controller.
- Check the device again and retest the per-game layout.
If the controller appears in Steam but not in the game, switch the game’s Steam Input mode and test its native-controller option. Some games expose duplicate devices when both native input and Steam Input are active; disable one path and retest.
Decision guide: pick the setting for the job
| Goal | Power profile | GPU choice | Display and control checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum mobility | Power Saver | Integrated GPU for ordinary work | Lower brightness and refresh rate; controller optional |
| Everyday productivity | Balanced when available | Integrated GPU unless an application needs the discrete chip | Readable fractional scale; VRR as desired |
| Competitive or demanding gaming on AC | Performance | Dedicated GPU on hybrid systems | VRR enabled when stable; MangoHud for frame-time checks; Steam Input layout tested |
| Windows-only game through Proton | Performance on AC, Balanced for lighter titles | Dedicated GPU when required | Record Proton version and test NTSYNC-related behavior per game |
Troubleshooting branches
The game is slow despite Performance mode
- Confirm that the charger is connected and recognized; Dynamic Boost is not engaged on battery.
- Verify that the game is using the dedicated GPU rather than the integrated GPU.
- Use MangoHud to identify a CPU limit, GPU limit or frame-time spikes.
- Check temperatures and airflow for thermal throttling.
- Compare the supported Ubuntu driver or Mesa version with the one currently installed.
- Test a fixed refresh rate if VRR flickers or produces uneven pacing.
Battery drains rapidly while gaming
- Switch to Power Saver and lower the game’s frame-rate cap or graphics preset.
- Use the integrated GPU where the game’s performance remains acceptable.
- Reduce display brightness and refresh rate.
- Close background launchers, browsers playing video and other sustained workloads.
- Accept that a discrete-GPU game is a high-power workload; no profile can turn it into a low-drain task.
The desktop looks blurry after changing scale
Try another fractional value, log out and back in if the session requests it, and test the game independently. A scale that is comfortable for the desktop may not match a title’s own UI scaling.
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Open the game’s controller layout in Steam, choose the correct device template, and test Steam Input against the native mode. Check for a second connected gamepad or virtual device, then retain the mode that produces one predictable mapping.
A practical setup sequence
- Update Ubuntu 26.04 and install the supported graphics driver offered for the GPU.
- Set Balanced for normal work, with Power Saver ready for battery use.
- Connect AC power, select Performance and route demanding games to the dedicated GPU.
- Enable VRR and choose a readable fractional scale only after confirming monitor and driver support.
- Install Steam, select a native build or Proton per game, and record the chosen version.
- Install and enable MangoHud for diagnostics, not as a performance promise.
- Configure the controller in Big Picture Mode, select the per-game layout and test it in the actual title.
- After gaming, return to Balanced or Power Saver and disconnect the charger when appropriate.
Ubuntu 26.04 gives you better policy, display and compatibility foundations, but the best setting remains workload-specific. Treat battery endurance, sustained performance, frame pacing, compatibility and controller reliability as separate checks rather than chasing one profile for every use.
Quick Recap
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