Valve and Collabora are working together to create an Arm64 port of Arch Linux, specifically designed for the upcoming Steam Frame VR gaming platform. This initiative seeks to expand Arch Linux’s capabilities beyond its current focus on 64-bit x86 architecture, as stated on the Arch Linux homepage, which emphasizes that it currently offers official packages optimized exclusively for the x86-64 architecture.
The new port, named Holo Core, is intended to serve as the operating system foundation for the Steam Frame. While Arch Linux has various derivatives, including ArchLinux32 for x86-32 systems and Artix Linux, the official distribution has not yet embraced Arm64 support. There is an existing independent variant known as Arch Linux ARM (ALARM), which supports a wide range of Arm devices, including popular models like the Raspberry Pi.
The development of the Arm64 port was hinted at earlier this year, with the long-term goal of integrating Arm64 support directly into the original PKGBUILD scripts. This integration would allow for the building of packages for both x86-64 and Arm64 architectures.
The impetus for this port is the Steam Frame VR headset, which Valve has recently begun taking orders for, alongside the Steam Machine. The Steam Frame is designed to stream games and media from other devices while also supporting local gameplay. It will utilize a 4 nm Snapdragon® 8 Gen 3 processor, diverging from the AMD CPUs used in the existing Steam Deck and Steam Machine.
Valve is also funding the development of the FEX emulation engine, which will facilitate the running of x86 binaries on Arm systems. This effort aligns with Valve’s broader strategy to enhance the compatibility of its software across different architectures.
Building the Arm64 port involves significant work on the build system and continuous integration pipeline, as well as the reconstruction of thousands of packages and dependencies. This development is expected to contribute positively to the overall growth of Arch Linux, which has recently gained popularity, as evidenced by its performance in the Steam Survey.
As of June 2026, SteamOS Holo 64-bit accounted for 22.83 percent of Linux usage on Steam, with other Arch variants making up a substantial portion of the market. Although there is no installable image available at this time, Collabora has released preview binaries, source packages, and a development container for experimentation on x86 hosts using QEMU emulation.
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Original source: theregister.com
