Valve Explores ARM Support for Proton: Potential Move to Bring Windows Games to Android and Beyond

Valve uses Proton to make Windows games run on Linux. An operating system that, for example, is the basis for SteamOS. New evidence indicates that the company is looking to expand to other platforms through ARM support.

Proton can be briefly described as a translation layer that makes games developed for Windows work on Linux-based operating systems. Valve has put a lot of time and resources into Proton over the past few years. The company’s Steam Deck handheld computer, for example, uses a Linux-based operating system.

Now, evidence has emerged that indicates Valve is currently testing ways to make game titles compatible with the ARM64 architecture and possibly even Android. The home page A notebook study has found several SteamDB database entries for what appear to be tests for several games with the Proton skin for ARM applied.

How well this will produce anything remains to be seen. Just because Valve is testing doesn’t mean full ARM support is on the way for Proton or popular titles. It can just be engineers who want to see what is possible and is it worth spending time and energy to develop their idea.