Valve is doubling down on open source emulation to free Steam gaming from x86 and Windows limits, enabling full PC titles to run smoothly on ARM phones, laptops, and upcoming devices.
Valve is expanding Steam game compatibility to ARM devices by advancing two key open source technologies: Proton and FEX. The aim is straightforward yet transformative: to enable x86 Windows games to run on ARM hardware ranging from smartphones and ARM laptops to Valve’s own Steam Frame VR headset.
Proton already converts Windows Direct3D calls to Vulkan on Linux-based systems such as the Steam Deck, powering thousands of PC games with near-native performance. FEX, the emulator Valve has supported for years, translates x86 code to run efficiently on ARM chips including Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. In the Steam Frame VR headset, Proton and FEX operate together to deliver full x86 library performance on ARM silicon. This combination removes long-standing barriers between Windows, Linux, x86, and ARM, creating a unified, architecture-agnostic gaming stack.
Pierre-Loup Griffais, SteamOS architect, recently confirmed that Valve supports open source projects designed to bring x86 Windows games to ARM smartphones and other ARM-based devices.
Android users can already experiment through applications such as GameHub, which can run Windows PC titles on Android devices, although performance varies by hardware. Valve is not building an Android emulator for direct execution of PC games, but open source tools are progressing in a direction similar to CrossOver on macOS and Linux, indicating that emulated Steam clients may emerge.
As Snapdragon X Elite laptops become more widespread, ARM users can expect smoother gameplay across handhelds, tablets, and PCs. Valve’s strategy points to potential Steam-branded gaming smartphones and broader SteamOS deployments on ARM laptops. By prioritising open source emulation, Valve positions Steam for a future where ARM hardware dominates efficiency-focused computing.
