this post was submitted on 02 Dec 2025
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Valve has been a big proponent of Linux gaming, and now the company is investing in Android support on Linux. It’s already possible to run Android in a Linux container through Waydroid, but Valve has developed a new fork – and it has officially named it Lepton.

Last month, news broke that Valve would soon support Android games on Steam. This was thanks to a sighting in Steam app changelogs for Walkabout Mini Golf, which added an APK file. The VR title is currently available on the Meta Quest (which runs on a custom version of Android), and may run through the Lepton compatibility layer for Valve’s upcoming Steam Frame VR headset, which runs the company’s Linux-based operating system, SteamOS.

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[–] warmaster@lemmy.world 113 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

F*ck yesss, Waydroid for the lazy like me!

[–] onnekas@sopuli.xyz 17 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (7 children)

I also got excited. However some time ago I set up waydroid and once I got it all running smoothly I was like "what now?"

I didn't know any app or game that I wanted to play over the games that I have on my PC.

So my question would be: what do you want to play?

[–] de_lancre@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Yeah, most of "exciting" and impressive android games — either ports from big platform: Subnautica, Alien: Isolation, Tropico, Minecraft, Stardew Valley, Little Nightmares, Hitman, GTA, Dead Cells, etc. Or straight up accessible on all platforms: Wuwa, Genshin, PlantsVsZombies, etc.

That being said, there still a few games that I personally would've play somewhat natively, cause they never got a release outside of android:

  1. Minigore 2 (removed from play market, also doesn't support controller/keyboard, only touchscreen, so probably a no-no)
  2. Subway Surfer (for nostalgia!)
  3. Bad piggies (supposedly ported to pc, according to wiki, but good luck finding it)
  4. ~~Lazors (near puzzle game, not sure about it's fait)~~ nevermind, actually ported and can be bought on steam
  5. There was beta access to neat sewing puzzle game on android 5, but I can't find it anymore, was deleted from play market it seems, would've play, but no luck in finding it
  6. Dead Space Mobile (even tho it outdated af, still, I played it back in the days, would've been nice to play it once more)
  7. Xenowerk

That probably it, tho

[–] Blisterexe@lemmy.zip 4 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

The only way to play galaxy on fire 2 (unironic peak) with all dlc is the android version, and my android phone can't run it because it's a 32bit game. So for me it'd be that.

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[–] warmaster@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

Not me, my kids (4 & 7). I wouldn't play a mobile game, I just want some apps that I can't avoid and aren't available on desktop.

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[–] MrLLM@ani.social 8 points 3 weeks ago

You can say fsck in the internet

Although, I’m not really sure fsck yesss is a valid syntax

[–] KittyCat@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago

Stop censoring yourself, just say fuck

[–] Lumisal@lemmy.world 95 points 3 weeks ago (17 children)

A lot of people here missing the bigger picture:

This could be the start for a Valve-backed Linux phone.

[–] renegadespork@lemmy.jelliefrontier.net 44 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

That's a fun fantasy, but this is almost certainly a way to get Oculus games running on the Steam Frame.

They're 100% coming for Oculus' lunch with this one.

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 10 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

I don't think even Meta is eating Oculus's lunch... Making big losses on the Quest iirc.

I didn't really want a full PC on my face. I just wanted cheap streaming from my actual PC. Quest is actually really good for this, but it would have been nice to have something affordable that wasn't from Meta.

[–] renegadespork@lemmy.jelliefrontier.net 20 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I'd literally pay double to not have it come from Meta.

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 4 points 3 weeks ago

I'm thinking it'll be closer to three times.

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[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 11 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I wouldn't mind a Steam Whistle, if it lets me have privacy and security.

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[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 9 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It's at least settings things up for a real Steam Mobile, rather than it being a companion app for PC. I've been on the Valve Phone hype train since the Steam Frame information came out. Most companies wouldn't do it, but I know Valve does a lot of things just because the employees wanted something and they ended up making it a product. I could easily see that happening with a phone.

[–] turmacar@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

I'm sure there are reasons but it's always seemed like a lost opportunity that the Steam app doesn't work as an app store for mobile games on phones.

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[–] bytesonbike@discuss.online 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Instead of a text messager, it hits my steam messager.

I open a browser, steam store opens up.

I click on where to download apps, it opens up steam.

I use my bank, it takes it out of my steam wallet.

I have a button to call Gabe.

[–] CetaceanNeeded@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

Gabe only answers twice.

[–] Squizzy@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

Christ I want to leave the duopoly so bad

[–] Duke_Nukem_1990@feddit.org 4 points 3 weeks ago

Please Gaben, let this be true.

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[–] AmbitiousProcess@piefed.social 78 points 3 weeks ago

I cannot possibly overstate how amazing this is, given everything else valve is doing to make compatibility layers for practically anything.

This can attack Meta's near-monopoly on VR incredibly effectively. All those games made for the Quest? Pop 'em on either your higher-power PC, or directly on the Steam Frame, and it just works, very low effort to port, and you can squeeze more performance out of them if you're playing tethered.

Want to use an Android app on your PC rather than your phone? Done. Linux suddenly becomes much more useful to you on its own.

Being able to run Windows applications on Linux was just the start of making Linux more usable, and giving people more choice as to what software to use, but this expands it to an even larger scale. Simultaneously, this could mean some developers make things for Android that they otherwise would have only made to run on Linux, meaning Android users get more (likely open-source) choices too.

There's a metric fuck ton of apps that I wish I could use on Linux, but are only easily run on Android directly. (Yes, I know Waydroid is a thing, but it's been a pain to set up and use for me and many others. Valve has been pretty good so far at making sure things "just work" as best they can.)

[–] richardisaguy@lemmy.world 37 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

Linux is sure becoming the universal platform - We just need a proper macOS compatibility layer now

[–] Buddahriffic@lemmy.world 18 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

You can emulate it by opening up your mouse and carefully ripping all of the button switches other than the left one out. Then go into your BIOS, underclock your CPU (or alternatively, go to the store you got your computer or parts from and just give them more money).

Then get some plaster and just cover up most of the ports on the back of your computer. Don't worry, you'll replace them with dongles, there's a nice selection available for purchase!

Then uninstall proton and go around claiming that your computer is the only one that can handle making art (doesn't matter if you're an artist, just smugly insist this is the case).

Oh also forget that your computer is a computer. I don't know what you need to think it is, but only nerds use computers, you're not a nerd, you're cool because you're on a mac. Or pretending to be on one.

[–] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago

This is gold

[–] jjlinux@lemmy.zip 10 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)
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[–] mlg@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

No reason for a full compatibility layer when we already have GNOME

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[–] DrRufusFeynman@lemmy.world 19 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

That's cool because 0.00023 % of android games are not only Pay2WinMoneyGrabGarbage.

[–] nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

quest native VR titles are usually android

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[–] pulsewidth@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago

I'm hopeful this leads to being able to play older Android games.

One of the things that sucks about Android is that as the versions march on they raise the API requirements (ostensibly for security), which leaves old games being unable to run on new devices.

I have a bunch of games purchased om Humble Bundles over the years that now just refuse to run on my Android devices as their API target level is too old.

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[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 17 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I look forward to muon, neutrino, perhaps tachyon, though that last one may have already happened.

[–] YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 10 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Man, it's going to be forever until we get boson.

[–] ilinamorato@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

That'll be a massive breakthrough.

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[–] Ava@piefed.blahaj.zone 15 points 3 weeks ago

I feel like there was a missed opportunity to call it Androgynous or Androgynix.

[–] Matriks404@lemmy.world 13 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Now they should make their own compatibility layer to run Windows games on Android.

[–] deltaspawn0040@lemmy.zip 5 points 3 weeks ago

That already exists, look up winlator. It's just that the overhead is god awful.

[–] pHr34kY@lemmy.world 10 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I bet it would be used to play Roblox and Fortnite. Two games that are inexcusably blocked from WINE/proton.

[–] Eyck_of_denesle@lemmy.zip 15 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Roblox already works that way. Check Sober. I doubt fortnite would work cause Tim Sweeney will go to great lengths to stop it

[–] pHr34kY@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah. My kids use sober all the time. It's surprisingly clean.

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[–] ZkhqrD5o@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Oh my god, I can't wait to spend 30,000 € on worthless coins inside of a click and wait game. Now on PC. I used to use the phone for that. 🥰

[–] Nibodhika@lemmy.world 37 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

You're completely missing the point of this. Oculus Quest uses an Android OS, which means every VR game released for Oculus Quest is an APK, which means there's a version of the game already optimized for a portable VR headset that can be run with Waydroid/Lepton. Valve is making the same move they did with the Deck, we can't convince studios to build native? Okay, we'll run whatever version it is they have already published.

This in conjunction with Fex makes it so that they should be able to run any VR game that could possibly be run in the limited hardware, and they're giving studios a way to release a "native" version that they already have laying around for better performance (or even to make their first release on Steam).

And let's not forget side-loading, most games on the Quest have already leaked their APK, they don't care too much because they're the only Android portable VR, but because the frame is an open platform people would be able to just install those files manually very easily. So if the studios won't do the minimal effort to bring their games to the frame the community will. I was momentarily sad when I realized that robo recall (which I own for the Oculus Quest) is not available on Steam, less sad now.

[–] Hond@piefed.social 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Nah, regarding to your last paragraph: I dont think it will be that easy. Atleast officially.

These arent just .APKs like on Android. Like there is the whole VR/XR part which come with their own SDKs, runtimes and so on. While there are a few (mostly opensource) apps floating around which support multiple plattforms at the same tim like Quests, Picos, Play for Dream etc most of the Quest .apks are targeting very specifically the Quest platform and its hardware/softwarestack.

I also wouldnt call them "leaks". These are just good old pira... game preservations. Apart from a few games with extra drm measures pretty much every paid Quest game got... preserved.

There is an unofficial porting tool floating around to get Quest exclusives running on eg Pico headsets. Heres a website which tracks the working ones btw: https://ppdata.uk/?tab=OVR+Ports&sort=Updates&limit=20&page=1

But i know a ... friend who told me that some of these needed some very heavy lifting on top of the already heavy lifting the dev of the porting tool did to get running.

Would be a rather stupid move of Valve if they provided all the means to just pirate Quest games on the Frame. They want to make it as easy for devs to port their games to the Frame. But thats it.

But yeah, the seafaring community will probably find ways to port the quest games unofficially rather fast since the ground work is already done.

[–] Nibodhika@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah, I was talking about the community in the last paragraph. The tool makes easier official ports and also allows unofficial ones (which works as an encouragement to studios to make the port official).

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[–] ThunderLegend@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

So you're telling me my daughter is gonna be able to play roblox on my Linux laptop soon? Thanks, but no thanks. PS: I know about vinegar.

[–] Zink@programming.dev 4 points 3 weeks ago

It amuses me to play Roblox with my son when he's on a tablet or console and I'm using the Sober app to run the Android client on my Linux desktop that was built to be a windows gaming PC several years ago when he was a little baby.

He has an old PC that he doesn't use much, but he's got a much fancier one on the way.

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