Just in time for the Christmas holidays, the development team behind the Hyprland compositor has unwrapped a new 0.46 release.
This update brings not only a series of long-awaited features but also important changes that users should keep in mind. In other words, if youโve been holding off on trying something new in your setup, now might be the perfect moment.
First and foremost, Hyprland 0.46 shifts how it handles cursors on Nvidia hardware. The old cursor:dumb_copy has been replaced by cursor:use_cpu_buffer, paving the way for what should be a no-compromise Nvidia hardware cursor experience.
Although this feature is still considered experimental, it offers early adopters a glimpse of smoother cursor control.
Additionally, the way window and layer rules operate under the hood has been tightened. Regexes in these rules now need a full match to trigger, so a partial match no longer cuts it.
For example, if you previously relied on a loose pattern like โjerโ to match โjeremy,โ you now need a more precise approachโsomething along the lines of .*jer.*โto achieve the same results. This refinement encourages cleaner, more intentional use of regex patterns.
Hyprland 0.46 is also packed with new features that developers are proudly referring to as โChristmas presents.โ Perhaps the most visually pleasing change is the transition of color handling from sRGB to OkLab.
This means gradients and subtle color transitions will appear far more natural, offering a richer visual experience for both casual users and design enthusiasts.
For those who rely on interoperability, XWayland Drag and Drop is back in action. Now, itโs a breeze to drag items from Wayland clients to X11 clients, making your workflow more flexible and user-friendly.
Thereโs also a convenient new update screen that pops up after each update, reassuring users that everything went smoothly and inviting them to check the release notes.
Under the hood, optimization continues with regex handling now managed by Googleโs RE2 library, leading to faster and more efficient pattern matching.
Meanwhile, cursor behavior has become even more customizable, with new options like cursor:warp_on_change_workspace now accepting the force parameter and cursor:warp_back_after_non_mouse_input helping to maintain consistent cursor positioning when switching between input methods.
Enhancements also extend to lockscreen stabilityโlockdead_screen_delay has been introduced to prevent unsightly flicker if the lockscreen cannot appear quickly enough. In addition, you can now blur IME popups by using decoration:blur:input_methods, which should appeal to those who appreciate a polished, professional look.
Rounding out these updates are refined window rules for scroll factors and festive new splashes in honor of the holiday season and New Yearโs celebrations.
Lastly, no major release would be complete without a hefty bundle of fixes. The developers have once again combed through issues and applied numerous tweaks to ensure a smoother experience.
Check the official GitHub changelog to dive into the full list of improvements. The Hyrpland 0.46’s release announcement is here.
