Get ready for a gaming revolution, because Valve is about to blow the doors off Arm-based gaming with its game-changing investment in emulation technology! Hot on the heels of debuting its trailblazing Steam Frame headset—the first-ever Valve device powered by an Arm chip—the gaming giant is championing open-source emulation like never before. Buckle up, because your favorite PC games might soon run on your mobile devices, no ports needed!
Valve isn't just dipping its toes into emulation; it's been leading the charge all along. The Steam Frame is bringing Valve's vision to life, using the powerful FEX emulator to let Windows-native games thrive on Arm hardware. When you think of FEX, think of Valve's hidden ace! In a pulse-pounding reveal to The Verge, Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais dropped the bombshell that Valve actually kick-started the FEX project! They're more than just backers—they initiated the whole thing, fueling its development with gusto.
"We knew we needed the right guys for the job to build something massively transformative," Griffais said. "Once we convinced them to jump aboard, we’ve been turbocharging their efforts since day one." Riding this revelation, FEX's Ryan Houdek gave Valve a well-deserved shout-out in a recent anniversary post, thanking them for their unwavering support over these seven groundbreaking years.
Although the Steam Frame marks Valve's first dive into Arm-based devices, the company's sharp eyes set sights on Arm way back in 2016. Griffais noted, "We realized it was a marathon, not a sprint, and it would take nearly a decade before the fruits of our labor could be harvested. But now, we're ready to empower gamers everywhere!"
FEX isn't working solo in this emulation symphony. It's harmonious with Proton, another powerhouse in Valve's toolkit, ushering gaming onto Arm-based mobile devices like never before. Valve's not just tinkering—they're stealthily revolutionizing how Windows games land on your smartphones!
Lessons from the ill-fated Steam Machine days taught Valve well. By pouring resources into open emulation tools like Proton and FEX, Valve's breaking down walls, sparing developers from the grueling porting grind. As Griffais boldly puts it, "Game devs should pour their passion into making epic games, not wasting time porting them. We’re here to show it can be done better!"