Need for Speed: Carbon

[ClaudeLib]

Compatibility Report

• Name of the game with compatibility issues: Need for Speed: Carbon
• Steam AppID of the game: Non-Steam Game

System Information

• GPU: RX 6900 XT
• Video driver version: radv 24.0.99
• Kernel version: 6.5.0
• Link to full system information report as Gist:
• System Information - https://gist.github.com/ClaudeLib/3fcdf4e9765a344f96a836767ea8f02b
• Steam Runtime Diagnostics - https://gist.github.com/ClaudeLib/8c8107ca293a593bcb3242e22d48c30e
• Proton version: Experimental, 9.0-4, 8.0-5

I confirm:

• [v] that I haven't found an existing compatibility report for this game.
• [v] that I have checked whether there are updates for my system available.

steam-12994093193787080704-P8.log
steam-12994093193787080704-P9.log
steam-12994093193787080704-PE.log

Symptoms

While this is a non-Steam game, this appears to be a legit regression. With Proton Experimental and 9, when trying to change any graphics settings, including brightness, the game outright crashes to desktop. Using third party fixes, like Widescreen Fix or Extra Options does not fix the issue. With Proton 8, this does not happen.
While the logs above were made on a genuine SteamOS installed on a regular PC, the crash also happens on a real Steam Deck, I'll be able to provide logs later, if necessary.
Found a Reddit comment from 7 months ago describing the same issue: https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/upy33j/comment/l76easd/
Another minor symptoms are that on Proton 9 and Experimental the aforementioned brightness is set to 0 by default and the mouse pointer remains where it was when launching the game, whereas on Proton 8 the brightness is set to 52 by default and the mouse pointer jumps to the upper left corner, just like on Windows.
Also, the crash does not seem to happen in NFS: Most Wanted (2005).

Reproduction

Add NFS: Carbon to Steam, set compatibility to either Proton Experimental or 9.0-4, launch the game, try to change the graphics, crash to desktop.

[kisak-valve]

Hello @ClaudeLib, these look like some lines of interest from your Proton log:

err:d3dx:d3dx_pool_sync_shared_parameter Out of memory.
fixme:d3dx:d3dx9_effect_init_from_binary Failed to parse effect.