Linux kernel 7.3 released with gaming and VRAM fixes
Linus Torvalds announced the release and said he is on an annual family vacation that may delay the 7.4 merge window.
Linux kernel 7.3 was officially released on October 18, 2026, bringing a set of gaming-related improvements, according to gamingonlinux.com. Linus Torvalds announced the release and said the 7.4 merge window opens the following day.
Torvalds said he is on an annual family vacation and may need an extra week to complete the merge window. The kernel includes VRAM handling improvements funded by Valve, which require userspace tools such as dmemcg-booster and plasma-foreground-booster, along with compatible GPU drivers, to take full effect.
The release also adds CPU scheduling changes that may boost gaming performance, particularly on older hardware. On the graphics side, it improves compatibility for older AMD Radeon cards from the HD 7000 series through Polaris and Fiji, and some of those GPUs can now recover more reliably from crashes without a full reboot. Next-generation Intel Nova Lake graphics are enabled by default, and the open-source Nouveau driver gains groundwork for Vulkan Video hardware decoding.
Controller support and storage changes
Kernel 7.3 adds initial built-in Linux driver support for Valve's newer Steam Controller and a new driver for the built-in gamepad on the MSI Claw handheld. It also includes more preparation for AMD's upcoming Zen 6 processors and storage performance improvements to Btrfs, EXT4 and other operations.
More VRAM improvements are planned for future kernel releases, and some of the graphics improvements need newer Mesa drivers.
Quick answers
When was Linux kernel 7.3 released?
It was officially released on October 18, 2026.
When does the Linux 7.4 merge window open?
Linus Torvalds said it opens the day after the 7.3 release, though his family vacation may add up to an extra week.
Does Linux kernel 7.3 support the new Steam Controller?
Yes, it adds initial built-in Linux driver support for Valve's newer Steam Controller, along with a new driver for the MSI Claw's built-in gamepad.