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this post was submitted on 03 Mar 2026
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Probably. But also just wider Linux adoption. Over 8% of English-speaking Steam users are on Linux now. That number is already at a point where it makes sense to cater to them. Who doesn't want 8% more sales? Numbers much smaller than that drive quarterly decisions.
(The large disparity between English speaking and not is the Chinese market. Linux has near 0% adoption there. The dip in the last month, for example, corresponds to a single-month doubling of the number of Chinese users in the Steam stats; which also suggests major measurement errors coming out of China.)
Someone pointed out that valve takes surveys in different markets and then extrapolates them. So if they surveyed only china in this last round then that explains the stats entirely.
This is specifically about ARM64 if you read the posting. The only other ARM hardware out there that runs Proton are these random Chinese brands that make emulation focused handhelds. That's not a segment of the user base that EA would care about.
Now, Valve is turning the entire ARM ecosystem on its end by building out an entire suite of tools to make an emulation layer that makes running Proton on ARM almost entirely possible for the full range of games that already run on Steam, which is huge. That means any ARM device can now run Steam, Proton, AND FEX without much in the way of a barrier. This brings Steam on mobile potentially into olac, MacOS back to the table...etc.
It's not about Linux users and SteamOS singularly, but the coming expansion into the ARM space.much larger than 4-8%.
I assume the interest in ARM is specifically for the new Steam VR console?
That would make sense. I've ignored the entirety of VR for decades, but a Valve VR console running Linux has me considering buying one.
A genuinely large "Meta can go fuck themselves" segment of the potential future VR market might be opening up, soon.
Nope. Anything ARM. Meaning tablets can run x86 games with Proton+FEX if that be the case. Also getting the MacOS segment back into the fold. ARM laptops, hell, maybe even Apple portable devices, who knows.
It's not just about their own hardware, but my thinking is that the Deck 2 will be ARM for power consumption reasons, so this all makes a lot of sense. The Frame isn't really just a VR devices, it's also going to be SteamOS, so that means a virtual desktop and all the usual Linux apps and such. I'm sure it will sell on its own as a productivity device as much as a gaming device. No reason it can't fill the market gap that awful Apple headset screwed up so poorly.
A smaller more portable SteamDeck would be amazing.bSomething with all day battery life that can play Balatro would be... very bad for me, but really fun.
Yes, pedantic. Wine existed before Proton, and Valve made it more suitable for use in its own ecosystem with funding and developer time, but also still open and usable for the community writ large.
They've also been funding FEX since it's inception, and likewise commiting development resources for the same purpose, to further their product reach on a wider array of devices.
They aren't simply gobbling up these fledgling FOSS projects for use in their products as you seem to suggest, they've had a long term plan to make milestones and goals that have gotten them to where they are now. That's the point.
They aren't gatekeeping anything. They simply have the resources to give these projects they are interested in a boost.
Not being bristly at all. Your comments seem to assume: 1) People don't already know (check the thread you're in) 2) Valve is doing something wrong, and/or 3) They are somehow at fault for something, like stolen valor or not giving credit where credit is due.
You suggested your comment was pedantic, and I confirmed, and it's because of your tone. I'm not rage replying to your comments, just correcting the context because I feel you have the wrong take.