Valve Introduces New Compatibility Layers for SteamOS

<p>Since the release of the Steam Deck, Valve has introduced the Proton compatibility layer, which enables Windows games to run on the Linux-based SteamOS. To enhance game compatibility on the SteamOS-powered Steam Frame, Valve is now implementing two additional compatibility layers that are new to the Steam architecture.</p><p>The first layer, FEX, is Valve's adaptation of fex-emu, an open-source project that emulates x86 processor instructions on Arm chipsets. This project has evolved since 2018 into a comprehensive emulation tool that includes an advanced binary recompiler supporting modern x86(-64) instruction set extensions. The emulator is designed to call graphics libraries like OpenGL and Vulkan to minimize overhead and employs code caching to reduce stuttering, as detailed in Steam's developer documentation.</p><p>While Proton is based on the Wine conversion tool, Valve engineer Pierre-Loup Griffais stated that the company has been supporting Fex lead developer Ryan Houdek since the project's early prototype stage. Valve anticipates that significant development will be required over the next decade to ensure Fex-emu becomes a reliable solution for users.</p>