Valve is working on "Lepton" which is their official Android on Linux compatibility layer based on Waydroid, found in SteamDB

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman

Does the name Proton ring a bell? It's the tool that allows Windows games to run on Linux. Thanks to this, the best titles of recent years work perfectly on devices such as the Steam Deck.

Thanks to SteamDB, we have discovered the existence of Lepton, a tool based on Waydroid technology that will be used to run Android applications within Valve's ecosystem. For now, a logo with a frog and lines of code have been spotted. The latest update mentioned by SteamDB dates back to Tuesday, December 2, 2025.

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Linux already seems to be the best place to play Linux games from what I understand, but I don't know how good or bad Waydroid currently is. Google are working on their own Windows support (released now?), for better or worse. I wonder what Valve's improvements will bring.

I've been meaning to try Waydroid out since I moved to Linux. I might as well wait and see what happens.

Either way, the whole idea is much further along now than the Bluestacks rubbish I couldn't get working a few years ago.
 
This will be great for me. I prefer to read books on Readera but it's android/ios only, so I've been using Calibre book reader on Linux (it's a great book reader, but I prefer Readera).
 
With Frame, Valve has the opportunity to launch Steam on Android.

Imagine every cellphone becoming a Steam Deck (less or more powerful depending on the device). It's easy money for them.

Some cheap Snapdragon SOC can play X360/PS3 era games perfectly already with Gamehub/Winlator, imagine with Valve's touch.
 
With Frame, Valve has the opportunity to launch Steam on Android.
Thats even a different thing. They call that "fex".

On gamingonlinux.com someone in the comments came up with this summary:
  • Proton - x86 Windows apps on x86 Linux (Steam Deck).
  • Proton+FEX - x86 Windows apps on ARM64 Linux (Steam Frame).
  • Lepton - ARM64 Android apps on ARM64 Linux (Steam Frame) or x86 Android (Intel Atom, Chromebook) apps on x86 Linux (Steam Deck).
 
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With Valve's involvement in FEX and Proton, I fully expect to see Steam on Android allowing PC game compatibility within the next year or two, which will be huge. As for Lepton, sounds like a good idea for Netflix on Steam Deck.
 
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Oh man, can you imagine running those hot android apps on your pc!
Fortnite would finally work on Linux (although knowing Epic they would detect and stop it)

I expect the main use case is running APKs designed for Meta Quest, allowing people to port those games easily to natively run on Steam Frame.
 
With Valve's involvement in FEX and Proton, I fully expect to see Steam on Android allowing PC game compatibility within the next year or two, which will be huge. As for Lepton, sounds like a good idea for Netflix on Steam Deck.
We're a good way down that road already.

Currently playing thru F.E.A.R on Gamehub Lite on my Odin 2. Downloaded from Steam within the app. I've done this with quite a few lighter/older games recently. Even has working cloud saves.
 
I got a fancy new Razer Kishi V3 that works really well with my iPhone.
It's got TMR sticks. The first time I've ever used TMR. Works as advertised.
If only I could boot some Steam games on this. :pie_thinking:
 
This should generally be easier to implement than WINE, considering Android is based on the Linux kernel so it's effectively a fork of Linux itself. Will be interesting to see how developments shape out.
 
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