Steam Deck Without x86
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Valve reportedly working on ARM64 Proton compatibility layer for Linux gaming
As per some recent reports, Valve – the creator of Steam, SteamOS, and the Steam Deck, seems to be working on an ARM64 version of Proton. In other words, Steam Deck, the hit handheld gaming PC, may soon be able to run games that work well with Windows on Arm.
According to Tom’s Hardware, Valve is testing “literal hundreds” of games on the ARM64 Proton layer, which includes popular games such as Shadows of Mordor and Left 4 Dead. This was spotted on September 20th as Valve published updates to a test application that’s available on SteamDB. The list of games that have been tested for “proton-arm64ec-4” is a massive one, which indicates a wide range of possibilities.
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TechSpot ☛ Valve appears to be testing ARM64 and Android gaming support for Steam on Linux
Valve seems to be quietly working on expanding its gaming ecosystem to support Arm-based processors and Android. Recent developments spotted in Valve's Proton code on SteamDB suggest the company is testing an "ARM64" version of its Linux compatibility layer, dubbed "proton-arm64ec-4."
Proton is Valve's solution for running many Windows games seamlessly on the Linux-based SteamOS. The leaked code shows Valve testing this ARM64 version with a wide range of titles, including popular games such as Left 4 Dead 2, Garry's Mod, and Shadow of Mordor, as well as various VR games and indie titles.
While this code snippet doesn't confirm an imminent release of an Arm version of Steam, the motivations behind the development are intriguing.
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It's FOSS ☛ Leaks Suggest Valve is Preparing for Steam Deck VR, Android, and ARM Support
Valve and their online video game store, Steam, are an important part of the gaming scene on Linux. Ever since they launched the Proton compatibility layer and the Steam Deck, their popularity among Linux gamers has been on the rise.
While some game developers seem to think that Valve has to do all the heavy lifting on providing Steam Deck support for games, they have been doing well.
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A fourth one:
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Valve may be working on a Linux ARM64-based version of Steam
However, Linux users on an ARM64 architecture may have felt a bit left out in the cold in recent months. Fortunately, that may soon turn around, as it seems that Valve is working on getting its PC gaming apps up and running with ARM64 Linux devices.