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/

  • Ferrous@lemmy.mlEnglish
    4·
    4 hours ago

    Also this goes to prove again that Steam/Valve is not a monopoly

    How does a company announcing a new item for later release disprove its status as a monopoly? How does a game company designing a better product than a bumbling social media company disprove its status as a monopoly? Can you explain?

    Some 73% of developers see Steam as a monopoly

    Steam satisfies the FTC’s definition of a monopolist

    I’m not taking a stance on whether or not valve is a monopoly, but claiming that a press release for upcoming items (that have yet to even hit the market) disproves its monopoly status seems wrong.

    The fact that customers enjoy the products that a monopoly makes doesn’t disprove its monopoly status. It just proves there is still some ounce of good engineering winning over shortsighted financial decisions in Valve’s leadership.