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Valve Confirms It Started and Funded FEX to Run Windows Games on Arm

The disclosure underscores a compatibility-first strategy shaped by lessons from the Steam Machine.

Overview

  • Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais said the company initiated the open-source FEX project and has financed it from the beginning.
  • FEX pairs with Valve-backed Proton to translate x86 Windows games for Arm hardware, and it already underpins leading Android-based PC emulators.
  • Valve’s first Arm device, the Steam Frame headset, will bundle FEX to run Steam games on-device and is slated for 2026.
  • FEX lead Ryan Houdek marked the project’s seventh anniversary by thanking Valve for being involved from the start.
  • Griffais said Valve began exploring Arm in 2016 and emphasized a current focus on living room, handheld, and desktop experiences, leaving broader mobile plans unclear.