Installing Steam on ARM and How to Run PC Games

Today, we’re going to walk through how to install Steam on our ARM-based retro consoles that are compatible with the platform—an exciting development for those who want to play native PC games.

Thanks to x86 instruction emulation with the FEX Proton 11 system, it’s possible to run PC and Steam games almost natively on our Qualcomm Snapdragon processors (for now). This system is still under development and currently offers promising results, though they’re somewhat unstable. If you have one of these devices, it’s always worth trying it out by installing it on a microSD card without damaging the main system. In terms of price and simplicity, if you don’t want something portable, a Windows mini PC might be a much more economical option.

As an alternative, there’s Gamenative, which lets you run PC games on Android without going through so many steps—just from an APK with a couple of clicks. You’ll lose some performance, of course.

Steam on ROCKNIX and Linux

To install Steam on ARM, we have two options: one using ROCKNIX, which is the minimal Linux system required to run it, or using desktop Linux for ARM and installing the necessary packages. This second option is only available on compatible SBC boards or retro consoles that support it; we also need some knowledge of the system.

Steam-Compatible Hardware for ROCKNIX

For now, only Qualcomm Snapdragon or Dragonwing processors are compatible with the packages needed to run the emulation. Compatible SoCs are the SM8250, SM8550, and SM8650 others will be added soon.

- Retroid – Pocket 6, Pocket 5, and Pocket Flip 2

Ayaneo – Pocket DMG, Pocket DS, Pocket EVO, Pocket S 2K, Pocket S2, Konkr Pocket Fit (SD G3 Gen 3)
AYN – Odin 2, Odin 2 Mini, Odin 2 Portal, and Thor

Install ROCKNIX with Steam support

To install the Steam-compatible version of ROCKNIX, you need to download the latest version of this OS, which is still in development. As mentioned, we recommend installing it on a microSD card first to see how it works. If you’re satisfied with it, you can always move it to internal storage later to improve performance.

ROCKNIX Installation Guide
Download the ROCKNIX nightly build
Micro SD card with reader; burn the image and insert it.
Download ROCKNIX ABL to boot from SD.
On your console, copy ABL to the root of the internal storage.
On the Android console, go to Settings > Advanced > Run Scripts
First, back up ABL, then flash ABL
Restart the console with Vol- and Power held down.
The ROCKNIX ABL menu will appear
Use the Volume- button to go to Set Device Model and select your machine.
The Boot Mode menu will show Linux; press the Power button to start this OS
If you want to switch to Android, do the same, but in Switch Boot Mode, select Android

Steam Configuration and Settings on ROCKNIX

As is typical with emulations, especially in the initial phase, we’ll always need to configure and fine-tune certain details. Additionally, there are certain limitations, as is to be expected.