Valve today (12 November 2025) announced their new Steam Machine (x86 CPU, 6x more powerful than Steam Deck) and Steam Frame (self-contained and PCVR streaming VR headset with ARM CPU & “FEX” translation of x86 to ARM) to be released in early 2026. No prices yet.

I’m trying to speculate what effects this will have on the wider Linux ecosystem. Both devices will be running Steam OS and be open so you can run any OS.

First, I’ve read many people state that the Steam Deck considerably increased the number of devices running Linux, so it seems to me that these two new devices will accelerate that trend.

Second, it seems to me that the Steam Frame will significantly increase VR use and development for Linux.

Third, I wonder what the implications of Frame’s x86 to arm translation layer (based on FEX, an open source project that I only learned about today) as well as Android compatibility (they state it can sideload Android APKs) will be. Could this somehow help either Linux on Apple silicon or Linux phone efforts? I’m very unfamiliar with what’s going on with either of these efforts, so I may be way out on a limb here.

What do you think about all this?

Edit: this article may prompt some additional thoughts with its discussion of the openness of the Frame - https://www.uploadvr.com/valve-steam-frame-catalog-whole-compatible/

  • warmaster@lemmy.world
    36·
    2 days ago

    Steam Machine

    If the Steam Machine really takes off, I see way more people moving to Linux on their main rigs and laptops, and in turn making companies stop ignoring it, if it becomes a massive success I imagine:

    • Mainstream games like FIFA supporting Linux
    • Apps like Affinity Studio being distributed through Steam officially supported via Proton.
    • Epic games will be the last company to keep ignoring Linux.
    • Valve adopting Waydroid for SteamOS (for Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, etc)
    • NVIDIA will redouble their Linux efforts.
    • Greatest than ever VR support in Linux

    Steam Frame

    • Lots of Linux apps will work on Android desktop mode, like LibreOffice, Inkscape, etc.
    • Linux phones will receive a lot more maintainers and funding.

    Steam Deck

    • Android apps on the Deck via Valve’s Waydroid
    • Steam Deck 2 on ARM

    Other

    • New use cases for ARM will motivate RISCV to speed up it’s growth.
    • KDE & Arch will receive more funding from Valve
    • More contributions to the Kernel
    • More Linux developers
    • Increased security for Linux
    • Flathub will grow
    • Tattorack@lemmy.world
      1·
      9 hours ago

      You know, in the trailer they did say "we’re not talking about that yet" when referring to the Steam Deck.

      So there’s probably a Steam Deck 2 in the works, and if it runs on ARM the battery life would be amazing. Though… I wonder if that matters when it still needs to process x86 instructions.

    • Cricket [he/him]@lemmy.zipOPEnglish
      1·
      17 hours ago

      Very cool, thanks for your comprehensive predictions of effects of these new devices! I hope that a lot of that will come true.

      I hope a lot of those things will come true, but the one I am hoping will happen sooner than later is for apps like Affinity (and Vegas editor!) to improve/fix their support via WINE or Proton. Regarding Affinity specifically, I understand that they have made the entire suite free to use now, which I’m afraid may indicate that canva will slow down or stop its development.