this post was submitted on 14 Nov 2025
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I'm sure it will be able to, but it will come pre-installed with steamOS (arch btw).
If you install windows don't you lose FEX? You'd probably have to run it as a virtual machine so you were still getting x86 instruction code translation. But it'll be able to run Windows applications via wine anyway so there isn't a great deal of point.
I think you got a bit confused.... FEX is used in the steam frame (VR headset) because it uses an ARM processor to save battery. The steam machine uses a normal x64 CPU and appears to be using some relatively standard pc hardware, so no compatibility layers are needed for windows (only drivers are needed) I doubt you'll be able to install windows on the steam frame though, for the reason you say (arm compatibility is a mess).
I thought the steam machine was the one that used the arm chip
It definitely doesn’t.