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/
Fınally, year of the Linux desktop is here!
All 3 of the new hardware seems really cool. I’m very excited. These probably won’t be sold where I am, but I’m considering getting a steam controller from a 3rd party seller if it turns out to be cheap enough for me.
I’m surprised that they kept the “Steam Machine” name. I thought they would choose a different name to avoid any negative connotations. It is a very cool name though.
Also this goes to prove again that Steam/Valve is not a monopoly. If this “small” team of 350~ people in a private company can casually beat Microsoft’s market domination, Every other game launcher/storefront + The 17 Billion dollars Meta burned into their VR Hardware and “The Metaverse”, this is nothing but a case of crippling incompetence from their competitors.
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.
what negative connotations exsit for “steam machine”
They released a swath of “Steam Machine” devices about a decade ago through partnerships with companies like Alienware. I think the software implementation was poor, and I think the prices were exorbitant.