Some have hoped for a SteamOS-based gaming smartphone.
Valve has put to rest rumors about releasing a smartphone running SteamOS. Despite the Steam Deck’s success and the reveal of the Steam Frame VR headset, the company does not intend to turn its operating system into a mobile platform, Valve engineer Pierre-Lou Griffe told The Verge.
According to Griffe, Valve is indeed funding the development of Fex — a free tool that enables Windows games and applications to run on ARM devices. This technology is already integrated into the updated SteamOS and will be used in the upcoming Steam Frame headset, which can run games natively using its own compute. Nevertheless, despite Fex’s potential for mobile hardware, Valve does not see a need to build its own smartphone.
“I don’t think adapting SteamOS or producing content for these kinds of devices will be a priority for us. We’re already committed to three fronts—desktop PCs, living-room consoles, and handheld systems. That keeps us plenty occupied.”
Meanwhile, Fex is already being adopted on third-party platforms. For instance, the Chinese Gamehub app from GameSir lets users run Steam games on Android phones. Compatibility and stability remain imperfect, but on sufficiently powerful hardware you can comfortably play less-demanding titles like Hollow Knight: Silksong.
Source: iXBT.games