Steam is Breaking The Hardware Barrier

Video Description

Why Valve is Betting Big on ARM #steam #gaming #valve This video explores the massive breakthrough in PC gaming following Canonical’s release of an experimental Steam Snap for ARM64 on January 8, 2026. By bundling the Steam client with the high-performance FEX-Emu translation layer, Ubuntu has created a vital bridge that allows traditional x86 games to run on power-efficient ARM processors. We take a deep dive into the technical hurdles of this project, including the complex differences between x86 and ARM memory models and the innovative "binary recompilation" used by FEX-Emu to maintain high frame rates. The discussion also covers why Valve is heavily funding this open-source technology to power future hardware like the ARM-based Steam Frame VR headset and the potential for a next-generation Steam Deck 2. Finally, we look at real-world performance results from the NVIDIA DGX Spark and explain how you can test this new gaming stack on your own ARM-based Ubuntu device today. 0:00 The Breakthrough 1:34 Architecture Wars 2:04 FEX Emu 4:06 Memory Model 5:34 Ubuntu Implementation 6:11 Valve’s Bill 7:56 Real Benchmarks 9:07 Try it Yourself 10:02 The Future Checkout the Steam Snap Version here: https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/call-for-testing-steam-snap-for-arm64/74719 Checkout Fex here: https://fex-emu.com https://youtu.be/3yDXyW1WERg Twitter https://twitter.com/watercs2