Highly anticipated: 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.
One possibility is that Valve could be preparing Arm support for a rumored upcoming Valve VR headset, codenamed “Deckard,” which is speculated to have a standalone mode running Linux on an Arm processor. However, the inclusion of non-VR games in the testing list suggests that Valve may also be working on bringing Steam to Arm-based desktop devices and not just a new VR headset.
Another exciting prospect is the potential for Steam to be available on Android phones and tablets. The leaked code references “Waydroid,” an open-source container system that allows running Android apps and games on Linux, indicating that Android compatibility may be on the table.
Valve’s efforts in this area are likely driven by the growing popularity of Arm processors, most recently with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips finding their way into many Windows laptops – or at least the company sees the potential.
Gaming on these devices has had a rocky start, with Qualcomm previously claiming that most PC titles would “just work” through emulation, which, of course, is not ideal. Having Steam’s vast library natively supporting Arm PCs could be a massive boost.
It’s important to note that this is speculation based on the leaked code, and Valve, known for its love of rarely giving forward-looking information, has not officially announced any such plans. So, these theories should be taken with a grain of salt.
Still, if any company can help usher in an Arm gaming revolution in style, it’s the folks behind the world’s biggest gaming platform.
