Valve is likely scheming with hardware again, report says NotebookCheckTheir next hunk of plastic and cables – following the Valve Index, Steam Deck, and Steam Deck OLED – could replace PC gaming’s favorite x86 ARM architecture, the type of processor favored by the Nintendo Switch, Macs, and mobile phones.
SteamDB Database reveals a piece of software called ‘ValveTestApp3043620’ that’s associated with dozens of PC games, from Left 4 Dead 2 and Garry’s Mod to Among Us and Hollow Knight, which in turn have tags like ‘proton-arm64ec’ and ‘proton-arm64ec-experimental’. To explain it using “Occam’s Razor,” the mysterious app suggests that Valve is testing a version of Proton (the compatibility layer that makes Windows games work on the Linux-based SteamOS) that could run on ARM64 processors.
The most monotonous outcome of this would be something like Valve simply releasing SteamOS for MacBooks; Apple’s M-series of mega-fast chips for laptops and desktops is probably the most high-profile example of the ARM architecture in action. It’s just as likely, though, that Valve will evaluate ARM as the basis for its next substantial hardware launch, sticking with x86 for the Steam Deck family.
I don’t think the possibility of a up-to-date Steam-branded hardware is the main theme here – Valve has been in the hardware business for over a decade since the original Steam Machines, and it’s given no signs of backing down. But the potential switch to ARM could bring up-to-date possibilities, but also some risks.
For one, ARM chips are typically more power-efficient than their closest x86 counterparts, so they could be a great fit as the basis for a up-to-date Steam Deck or wireless VR headset. ARM’s compatibility with the Android operating system could also make it much easier to add your favorite mobile games to your PC library; outside of emulation, this is only possible on x86 hardware in a very narrow, circumscribed way.
The biggest challenge, however, for Valve and Proton would be maintaining performance and compatibility. While newfangled ARM chips are no less powerful than x86, the fact that most PC games are built exclusively for the latter can create issues with maintaining frame rates. This isn’t as substantial of an issue when Proton tricks Windows games into running on SteamOS, since both platforms were built with x86 in mind, but running these games on the completely different ARM64 architecture would likely require something more like full emulation. Which generally slows down performance.
But Proton’s whole job is to hammer compatibility barriers into the ground, so who knows. As for the hardware itself, I’m not convinced it’ll be an ARM-powered Steam Deck, partly because Valve told me last November that the next generation of Decks is probably years away. A standalone VR headset is a good bet, although given that ARM has infiltrated the Mac Pro, its performance advantages don’t necessarily mean it’s exclusively portable. A up-to-date generation of Steam Machines, perhaps? Watch this space.
