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/
Could this somehow help…Linux phone efforts?
I thought about this but the biggest problem with Android is lack of adoption from developers of third party app stores and UnifiedPush, and similarly widespread adoption of Play Integrity API. This won’t solve those problems.
There’s certainly the possibility that Android apps begin being distributed on Steam. But probably only gaming apps.
Yeah, there would need to be a major player investing in this route, coupled with strong integrity checks, to force banks and identity apps to make a third version of their apps.
Good points, thanks.
For sure.
I am excited to see more arm-based Linux devices for consumers. And the Snapdragon-based VR is exciting on that front.
It definitely won’t change anything for tomorrow or next year, but it does make me hopeful that better support is in the relatively near future.
As someone who previously owned a GameCube and a G4 Cube, I’m definitely getting the Steam
CubeMachine.I prefer GabeCube
Maybe the Arch Linux “ports” RFC will finally be of use…
Also, box64 works better in my experience when all of the depending libraries are installed properly, and they are guaranteed to be there in this scenario given that there’s the Steam runtime.
Awesome!
Steam frame could be big for vr on linux. Before steam deck came out I dualbooted windows for gaming because gaming didn’t work well on linux. Nowadays its great. Steam vr is super buggy on linux right now and doesn’t even have feature parity with steam vr on windows. Hopefully steam vr becomes good on linux because I would imagine the steam frame needs it to be good
If there is an easy way to extend the desktop to the virtual big screen it will put it higher on my list.
I would imagine that that’s the only way that they would be able to make a desktop work on Frame, no?
Im just not sure how much steamos specific or hardware specific stuff are a part of it.
Got it. We will find out soon.
yeah. I mean I will not be buying pre sales or anything. I will let it come out. See some people who bought it give a rundown and like the steamdeck pick it up down the line after a price decrease. If I do pick it up. Sorta need to be working before I can be buying toys.
Definitely a good idea with brand new technology.
A standalone VR headset that I don’t have to give money to the zucc to enjoy? I’m buying like 12 of these things as soon as they’ll take my money
Sorry to put you on the spot but I saw this countless time this morning after reading the news so I’m asking you :
- did you buy a Lynx XR1?
My point being that there already are standalone VR HMDs that do NOT need Meta and can be great to tinker. The example I share works, can be rooted and even run Linux proper (even though quite experimental) https://wiki.postmarketos.org/wiki/Lynx_R1_(lynx-r1)
So… it’s a nice thing to say, and yet please do not give your “money to the zucc” but also I believe that means there is something else people are missing, otherwise they’d have already made the move. I don’t mean this as a criticism, only to try to understand what that gap is.
Can the XR1 work as non standalone like the Frame with the receiver? That’s the advantage for me, to have more processing power when I need/want it.
I never tried with it specifically (done with with numerous other HMDs though) but it’s just streaming and they have a Alvr repo https://github.com/Lynx-MR/ALXR so I imagine so yes.
Quite frankly, I’ve simply never heard of that. I tried one of the quests at a convention once and I was like “wait hold on, they’ve got the computer inside the headset? That’s awesome I want it” and then I learned it was Facebook so I lost interest
No worries, it’s quite niche even for XR professionals some are surprised to learn it even exist.
Also FWIW for Meta/Facebook one can use a headset without any account now via PrivateQuest so if bought 2nd hand, not 1 cent goes to the zucc.
I know what you asked about is the Machine and Frame, but I’m super excited about the controller. I love my old steam controller I got on fire sale, but its an extremely flawed device. If they can polish that to the standard of the Deck, I’m so in, especially since you know it’ll work well on Linux with no firmware BS.
Definitely agree. Had a couple of them and loved some of the ideas (touchpad sticks, gyro to mouse aim, all of the Steam Input flexibility) but they never really eclipsed my rechargeable Dualshocks in terms of feeling right. Taking some of the Deck’s refinements and giving it another spin is welcome.
Yes, I’m definitely interested in the controller too! I only mentioned Machine and Frame because I figured those might both have an impact on Linux, but I didn’t even think about how the Steam controller may become a nice standard controller for Linux.
If the Frame is as open as the Deck it will be the perfect device for VR devs to play around with and make awesome stuff with. i think one of the things holding back VR was that almost every headset was super locked down.
If the Quests had been more open we’d have had much more experimental games. Maybe the Metaverse would actually be a thing. But Meta prefers to keep everything under their control not realising that this hampers development and adoption.
Look at the article that I edited the OP to post. It sounds like Valve is intent on keeping this thing as open as possible. I agree that it could lead to really interesting developments, not to mention when you consider the SD card slot and the high speed accessory interface that will allow external cameras and who knows what else. This thing is going to be crazy.
Interestingly enough, when Quest first released the hand tracking functionality I remember seeing some really interesting developments using that, but I guess the developers never took it all the way to publish games with those concepts.
It’s so weird considering how differently their approach is to like pytorch and LLAMA
LLAMA if I recall correctly was closed source until the source code was leaked online. After that Meta decided to just open source it.
The effort they are putting towards x86 emulation will definitely help the broader Linux community. I saw a bit about 24 min in on gamer nexas video. That would help down the line on all sorts of devices.
Yeah, pretty sure it was called “Fex” translation layer for emulating x86 binaries on ARM64. To me that was absolutely the biggest takeaway, because that’s a massive game-changer for eventually moving the industry away from x86 exclusivity and into wider adoption of other architectures.
Interesting, thanks!
Huge win for Linux. Steam Deck was the first volley, but this hardware is an all-out assault on Windows’ gaming dominance. MS is asleep at the wheel and making worse and worse software. I’m a 20 year Windows user and I’m planning my exit. If I were a gaming executive, I would assume 5 years from now that a smaller percentage of Steam users will be on Windows than there are today. I would want a damn good reason for my company’s next game to not have full Linux support.
Microsoft will either:
- win through innovation
- win through monopolistic practices
- win through inertia
- slowly lose by having a worse product
My money is on #4. Windows will probably be the #1 desktop/laptop OS for the next 20 years, but we could enter a world where Linux and MacOS are each 10% or more of the market. Steam shows 95% Windows but that’s for a gaming-focused market.
Valve isn’t perfect. They’re still a corporation. But if every company was as evil as Valve, we would achieve near world peace. They’ve contributed amazing things to open source through heavy investment.
Win through innovation
Has Microsoft ever innovated?
They were innovative in hiding their money from the tax man
I’m planning my exit.
How can I help?
It will help with linux on macs for the few (including me) blokes running it
Good to know, thanks!
Wasn’t the issue there that there are no drivers for the specific Apple silicon hardware, so someone needs to invent them? Because we’ve had raspberry pi for ages. Software for ARM is a solved problem AFAIK.
Hmmm, good points that I hadn’t thought about or just wasn’t aware, thanks!
I’m replying to you from Asahi Linux on an Apple Silicon Macbook. The drivers are definitely there!
FEX emulation of x86 on ARM CPUs has made many x86 games playable on my Macbook.
Ah, you mean it will help with games on Asahi Linux. Thought you meant it would help get Linux on more MacBooks.
I’m replying to you from Asahi Linux on an Apple Silicon Macbook. The drivers are definitely there!
FEX emulation of x86 on ARM CPUs has made many x86 games playable on my Macbook.
I still love my Index, but I’m 100% buying the Frame when it comes out. I haven’t tried the Index on Desktop SteamOS yet. I should do that. The groundwork for Linux and VR has likely already been laid out.
this is the year of linux
Having a Linux machine, with decent hardware as a common target for developers will have huge implications for gaming in Linux. The SteamDeck has already inspired more devs to make native Linux versions of their games, rather than relying on Proton. This should expand the appeal for devs even more so
Interesting points, thanks!
