ValveSoftware

steam-runtime

Shell2014–2026

ValveSoftware / steam-runtime

steam-runtime

A runtime environment for Steam applications

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23Distinct people

24Mentions

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1.5KGitHub stars

REPOSITORY AT A GLANCE

What to know before exploring

What it is

A runtime environment for Steam applications

GitHub

Where it is used

No documented product use was verified in the last source check.

What people are saying

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This week on Hacker News

Nov 7–Nov 14 UTC · Direct repository links and separately labeled related project stories. Indexed through 11/14/2026, 1:49:46 PM UTC.

No direct repository links were found in the indexed HN discussions over the past seven days. Older discussions are available below.

Mentions over time

HN mentions by year24 dated mentions

Observed mentions: 2014-06-03 13:06:03 UTC to 2026-05-28 16:58:19 UTC.

* An incomplete calendar period is marked with an outlined bar. Its count is not directly comparable with a full period.

Counts come from the repository’s dated source evidence. Index cutoff: 2026-11-02 08:16:59 UTC.

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UTC ranges include their start and exclude their end. Select a period to filter the source evidence.
Period	Start (UTC)	End (exclusive, UTC)	Mentions	Comments
2014	2014-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2015-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	1	1
2015	2015-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2016-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	0	0
2016	2016-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2017-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	0	0
2017	2017-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2018-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	0	0
2018	2018-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2019-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	0	0
2019	2019-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2020-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	0	0
2020	2020-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2021-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	3	3
2021	2021-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2022-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	6	6
2022	2022-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2023-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	1	1
2023	2023-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2024-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	6	6
2024	2024-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2025-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	0	0
2025	2025-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2026-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	4	4
2026 (partial)	2026-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2027-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	3	3

What Hacker News says

24 sources

bigyabai·May 28, 2026

Steam fixed this years ago. Many native games will default to the Steam Linux Runtime to ensure long-term compatibility and generally consolidated runtime expectations: https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-runtime Compared to the dylib nightmare that Microsoft keeps shipping in Windows, native Steam/Linux is actually pretty consolidated.

In AMD pulls a bait-and-switch on Linux users with Vivado licensing changes

akimbostrawman·Apr 2, 2026

That is not true. Proton and steam linux runtime which are the components actually responsible to run games are literally the exact same code provided by the steam client. https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-runtime https://github.com/valvesoftware/proton

In Steam on Linux Use Skyrocketed Above 5% in March

akimbostrawman·Jan 2, 2026

>why target Linux in all it's permutations with an unstable ABI when I can target the only stable Linux ABI -- Win32? You simply do what Steam has successfully done for many years with there containerized Steam Linux runtime based on ubuntu or something like flatpaks. https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-runtime

In 2025 was a disaster for Windows 11

kokada·Sep 24, 2025

Thanks, this is very interesting. So the old native runtime was basically a messy hacky using LD_LIBRARY_PATH and Ubuntu 12.04 libraries, and now they're using containers based on Debian 10 (Steam Runtime 2 'soldier') or Debian 11 (Steam Runtime 3 'sniper'). Edit: Valve actually have some very interesting documents about their compatibility environments: - https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-runtime/blob/master/d... - https://gitlab.steamos.cloud/steamrt/steamrt/-/blob/steamrt/... - https://gitlab.steamos.cloud/steamrt/steamrt/-/blob/steamrt/... - https://gitlab.steamos.cloud/steamrt/steamrt/-/blob/steamrt/...

In Baldur's Gate 3 Steam Deck – Native Version

kcb·Sep 24, 2025

I don't think they have to do that for a Steam Linux release. Steam has Linux native runtimes to provide games with a consistent environment across distros. https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-runtime/blob/master/R...

In Baldur's Gate 3 Steam Deck – Native Version

a2128·Sep 24, 2025

Steam takes care of the distribution and version mumbo jumbo for you with their runtime https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-runtime https://gitlab.steamos.cloud/steamrt/steam-runtime-tools/-/b...

In Baldur's Gate 3 Steam Deck – Native Version

meibo·Jun 26, 2025

Valve actually ships "stable ABI" Linux runtimes that Linux games and Proton are built against, so that they don't have to rely on distribution packages, similarly to Flatpak. They renew them every few years but they stay stable so that games built against a specific runtime keep working. https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-runtime

In Games run faster on SteamOS than Windows 11, Ars testing finds

Adverblessly·Dec 31, 2023

You mean the Steam Linux Runtime? From a quick search this is the best description of it I found: https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-runtime

In I forked SteamOS for my living room PC

phone8675309·Dec 10, 2023

If they're going to put the game on Steam then they should be using the Steam Runtime which is available here[1]. Otherwise they're shooting themselves in the foot. [1] https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-runtime

In Make Apps for Linux

rendaw·Oct 13, 2023

> It turns out that unless the game is explicitly marked (by Valve reviewers), Steam Deck will use the Windows build + Proton even if a Linux version is available. I found this which sounds like it's not the default, but is in fact a result of compatibility testing: > If your game has gone through Steam Deck compatibility testing and the testers reported that the native Linux version didn't work (because of #579), then it might have been flagged to run the Windows binaries via Proton by default, instead of the native Linux version. per https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-runtime/issues/585

In One game, by one man, on six platforms: The good, the bad and the ugly

smoldesu·Oct 2, 2023

> Where is it written that steam-run will magically execute most binaries without patching them? Somewhere in here: https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-runtime :p But I do get what you're saying. Once Flakes are default, I hope people start a proper push to clear up documentation and streamline the development process. The end-result is amazing, and the perfect OS/packaging system for my needs. The means of getting there... need a lot of work. I'm along for the ride either way.

In Chromebook Plus

circuit10·Aug 27, 2023

I think they have something a bit like a container built into Steam: https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-runtime

In i386 in Ubuntu won't die

cesarb·Feb 2, 2023

> Game developers would be fine to target a single distro like Ubuntu 22.04. Valve has its own container-only Linux distribution, the "Steam Runtime" (https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-runtime ); especially for games distributed on Steam, it probably makes more sense to target that distribution instead of Ubuntu.

In Wine 8.1

scoopr·Aug 15, 2022

FWIW, these days Valve tries to solve same problems with their steam runtime[0][1]. Still doesn't seem easy, but looks like almost workable solution. [0] https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-runtime [1] https://archive.fosdem.org/2020/schedule/event/containers_st...

In Win32 Is the Only Stable ABI on Linux?

deng·Nov 6, 2021

I think it's pretty much impossible now to create a modern game with the Steam runtime: https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-runtime#default-tools

In It‘s been 9 years since Valve rolled out the Steam Linux beta

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