Linux developers have recently achieved a groundbreaking advancement in running the Steam client on the RISC-V platform, with well-known AAA games such as The Witcher 3 and Far Cry now able to run on this platform. This achievement is not due to the direct porting of the Steam client to the RISC-V architecture, but rather thanks to the rapid maturation and optimization of the felix86 emulator, which allows x86 applications and games to run on RISC-V through high-quality emulation.
The felix86 team stated in their blog that the emulator has successfully achieved playable status for AAA Windows games for the first time, marking an important milestone for the project. Developers have also praised the ease of use of felix86, allowing users to get started quickly without complex configurations. Additionally, support for AppImage and file system emulation features have seen significant improvements. According to GamingOnLinux from developer emails: “We have managed to run the Linux Steam client on RISC-V, which means that games with Steam DRM can also be launched through felix86.”
As an open instruction set architecture, RISC-V is still considered a “dark horse” in the processor field as of 2025. It is expected that by 2030, the number of RISC-V devices will exceed 16 billion. Currently, the main market for this architecture is concentrated in embedded systems and IoT devices, but with the emergence of development boards like DC-ROMA and Milk-V Megrez, RISC-V has begun to enter the sights of enthusiasts and DIY hobbyists. Manufacturers, including NVIDIA, are also paying attention to and planning for this open architecture, while the Chinese market is actively promoting the application and development of RISC-V.
In contrast, the ARM platform is also striving to achieve compatibility with Steam games. Last year, Valve was found to be developing a version of Proton called proton-arm64ec-4 to enhance compatibility on ARM64 platforms. Currently, Apple Silicon remains the mainstay for running Steam on the ARM platform, but due to the gradual phasing out of Rosetta 2 and the lack of mature emulation solutions, the Steam gaming experience on Apple Silicon still needs improvement.
With the successful demonstration of felix86, RISC-V is taking steps from embedded devices towards a high-end entertainment ecosystem. Although current performance and optimization are not yet comparable to native platforms, this breakthrough signifies that open-source architectures are making significant strides towards the desktop and gaming markets.
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