Video summary

Steam on ARM Linux is Finally Here

Main summary

Key takeaways

Technology

Goal of the Video

Demonstrate Steam running on ARM-based Linux handhelds (devices that usually run Android), focusing on early “day-one” results and setup steps.

Why This Is Possible Now (Key Tech Concept)

  • Valve’s translation layer enables x86 PC games on ARM.
  • The translation/emulation approach is FEX.
  • A major milestone: Proton 11 beta was released with FEX built in, meaning ARM PC-game translation is now shipping more directly inside Valve’s stack.

Comparable Android Approach

Apps like Game Native and Game Hub also use translation layers to run PC games on ARM/Android, but they rely on an Android-specific translation/emulation pipeline.

Product / Software Update Highlights

Rocknix Linux (ARM) Update

  • Rocknix (for devices like Odin 2 and AYN Thor) received a big update adding a native Steam app inside the OS.
  • Why this can help vs Android apps:
    • Because it’s running Linux natively, it avoids dealing with the Android translation layer complexity.

Expectation Going Forward

  • Early and experimental, but promising.
  • Improvements are likely as FEX/Proton mature and as SteamOS-like experiences move toward ARM Linux.

Tutorial / How-To (Setup and Use)

Hardware/Software Used for the Demo

  • Retroid Pocket 6
  • AYN Thor (ARM devices)

How to Install Rocknix

  • Flash Rocknix to a microSD card.
  • Boot into microSD instead of Android using a custom boot launcher.
  • The video references a linked installation video for details.

How to Launch/Install Steam on Rocknix

  1. In Rocknix, open the Tool section.
  2. Choose Start Steam.
  3. The process downloads, installs, and configures Steam automatically.
    • Takes about 10 minutes (slower due to microSD write speeds).

Authentication

  • Sign into your Steam account.
  • Uses QR code via the Steam app on phone for Steam Guard.

Steam UI Behavior

  • Looks like Steam Big Picture Mode.
  • Not SteamOS—it’s essentially the Steam app on Linux, so features/options aren’t the same as a full SteamOS environment.

Running / Exit / Recovery Shortcuts

  • Exit Steam: Back button → Power → Exit Steam
  • Kill stuck app: Press Select + Start + L1 simultaneously

Compatibility and Performance Analysis (What Worked / What Didn’t)

Test Strategy

  • Focused mostly on smaller/lightweight games.
  • Larger titles take too long to download/install from microSD.

High-Level Results

  • About half the tested games ran “absolutely no problem” with excellent performance.
  • Many failures were attributed to early software bugs (day-one instability expected).

Examples of Good Experience

  • Ball Pit
    • Felt seamless on Rocknix.
    • Notably less lag than Android approaches (GameHub/Game Native), where translation layers may add delay.
  • Immediate compatibility wins
    • Dave the Diver: worked on Rocknix immediately (previously failed on Game Native).
    • Slay the Spire 2: worked on Rocknix immediately (previously failed on Game Native).
  • Replaced
    • About a ~30 FPS feel on AYN Thor.
    • Considered playable, including better “natural” latency vs Android.

Examples of Major Issues / Bugs

  • Stardew Valley
    • Controller issue: shoulder/trigger inputs kept firing, preventing normal play.
    • Steam input didn’t clearly fix it.
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
    • Game boots, then hangs in Steam “Resume”.
    • Later starts incorrectly (right-side only) and controls don’t work properly.
  • General pattern
    • Many games show Steam “Resume” and hang.
    • Sometimes they start in the background after delays (music plays, but foreground/screen handling is broken).
  • Hi-Fi Rush
    • Couldn’t get running.
    • Described as the heaviest test (~15–16GB install), with slow microSD transfers.
  • Background audio / window focus bug
    • Hard to Alt-Tab on a handheld.
    • Games can run “behind” the Steam UI.

FPS/metrics Limitation

  • FPS overlay/monitoring was not working for most games.
  • Performance was often subjective (e.g., “feels like 60”).

Side-by-Side Comparison (Rocknix vs Android)

  • Device/settings note: “Exact same settings” on Odin 2 with Android Game Native.
  • Result:
    • On Rocknix (Linux/ARM): performance and responsiveness were excellent out of the box.
    • On Android/Game Native: one example at 1080p struggled under 20 FPS and felt sluggish/unplayable.
    • Likely would need resolution drop to 720p.

Key Takeaways / Review Stance

  • Why it matters: Progress toward playing Steam x86 PC games on ARM Linux using FEX + Proton.
  • Current verdict: Not perfect, but already promising—enough to justify watching and trying early.
  • Android today: Still preferred by many users.
  • Rocknix’s direction: A step toward a future SteamOS-like ARM Linux experience.
  • Mentions hope for ARM-capable SteamOS experiences (e.g., “Basalt for arm”).

Main Speakers / Sources

  • Speaker: Russ (Retro Game Corps)
  • Referenced sources/tech teams/products:
    • Valve (Steam Deck/Proton/FEX)
    • Rocknix (Linux ARM OS)
    • ProtonDB
    • Android apps Game Native and Game Hub

Original video