Valves Steam Machine begränsad av Linux anti-cheat-kompatibilitet

13 november 2025

Valve har annonserat Steam Machine, en kompakt konsol-liknande PC som kör Linux-baserad SteamOS, planerad för lansering i början av 2026. Även om den siktar på 4K-spelande vid 60 FPS och stöder många titlar, kan den inte köra populära multiplayer-spel som kräver ej stödda kernel-nivå anti-cheat-system. Utvecklare kan behöva utöka Linux-stöd för bredare kompatibilitet.

Valve annonserade Steam Machine den 13 november 2025, som en dedikerad spelmaskin som liknar en kompakt konsol för användning i vardagsrummet på TV-apparater eller monitorer. Enheten kör SteamOS, ett Linux-baserat operativsystem härlett från Steam Deck, och siktar på 4K-upplösning vid 60 bildrutor per sekund i de flesta spel. Den spelar befintliga titlar från Steam-biblioteket men stöter på begränsningar med moderna multiplayer-spel som kräver kernel-nivå anti-cheat-programvara som är inkompatibel med Linux.

Stödda anti-cheat-system inkluderar BattlEye, som används i PUBG, Rainbow Six Siege och Destiny 2; Easy Anti-Cheat, som används av Rust och Fall Guys; och Valve Anti-Cheat för titlar som Counter-Strike 2 och Dota 2. Dock saknar RICOCHET, som krävs för Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Linux-stöd, liksom Rots Vanguard för Valorant och League of Legends, och EAs Javelin Anti-Cheat för Battlefield 6 och EA Sports-franchiser. En källa hävdar att Fortnite, som använder Easy Anti-Cheat, inte kommer att köras, medan en annan indikerar att Easy Anti-Cheat stöder Linux, vilket belyser en potentiell diskrepans i nuvarande implementationer.

Valve avslöjade också en andra generationens Steam-kontroller och Steam Frame VR-headset, båda integrerade med SteamOS, som expanderar till ARM-arkitektur. Inga prisuppgifter tillhandahölls, men lanseringen är planerad till början av 2026. Användare kan installera Windows som en workaround, även om detta kan minska prestandan och störa den konsol-liknande upplevelsen. Valve kan införa ett verifieringsprogram liknande Steam Decks, och workarounds kan uppstå för att verifiera Steam Machines integritet utan fullständigt Linux-stöd för anti-cheat. SteamOS framgång beror på att utvecklare driver för bredare kompatibilitet, vilket potentiellt utmanar Windows dominans i spel.

Vad folk säger

Reaktioner på X till Valves Steam Machine-annonsering fokuserar på dess Linux-baserade SteamOS inkompatibilitet med kernel-nivå anti-cheat-system, vilket förhindrar populära multiplayer-titlar som Battlefield 6, Call of Duty, Fortnite och Apex Legends från att köras. Negativa känslor dominerar, med användare som kallar det en stor begränsning som underminerar konsolens attraktion för onlinespel. Skeptiska röster ifrågasätter dess marknadsframgång givet svagare hårdvara och ihållande kompatibilitetsproblem, medan optimistiska åsikter föreslår att det kan pressa utvecklare att förbättra Linux-stöd eller minska beroendet av invasiva anti-cheat. Neutrala diskussioner noterar att som en PC kan användare installera Windows för bredare kompatibilitet, även om detta besegrar plug-and-play-syftet.

See this is what I'm trying to tell everyone who's excited for steam machine, half of the steam library will not work at all, because linux doesn't support anti cheat system. So no battlefield, no cod, no fortnite and all other online games

— Dark Protagonist 🎮 (@ShanTofique) 13 november 2025

The issue is that the worst multiplayer slop has invasive Windows-only anti-cheat, and the Steam Machines are running Linux, with Proton/Wine as a compatibility layer for running Windows games.

It works for basically everything except games deliberately modified to not work.

— Blessed with the 'tism (@blessedtism) 13 november 2025

No, the real struggle is actually the lack of anti-cheat support for Linux, meaning stuff like Valorant and Apex can't run on SteamOS. CS2 works, but FaceIt matches are a no go.

Basically, if a game requires you to use a kernel-level AC, you're SOL.

— John Williams (@TYPOGRAPH1C) 13 november 2025

Steam OS uses Linux as its base. Anti cheat has been an issue for Linux forever

The devs for those multiplayer games use kernel level anti cheat that won’t run on Linux

Average gamer isn’t going to know how to change OS when they buy PCs with windows already preloaded

— Gavin (@GBS5177) 13 november 2025

Funny enough it will actually not play quite a few of these titles simply because it cannot.

Thanks to anti-cheat built into them and Linux not supporting it.

This is a huge issue for these devices running steamOS as a vast majority of online multiplayer games today require…

— TeeJ Tech (@Big__TeeJ) 13 november 2025

Did you read the article? It's not about getting kernel level anti-cheat to work on Linux, it's Valve discussing why they think the Steam Machine will discourage developers from using kernel level anti-cheats at all.

— Lutyrannus (@lutyrannus) 13 november 2025

Kernal level anti cheat doesn't work on linux distros so you can't play games like BF6. And on top of that its linux. Most games run through windows emulation like wine, and a lot of steam games either don't work on steam os or are not optimized for it and are buggy.

— Revalence Fiending on 2.0 (@Revalence) 13 november 2025

Can't play Anti Cheat games... like Call of Duty,Fortnite,Battlefield 6, Destiny and so on is the biggest weakness of the Linux Steam OS

— BTMaverick707 (@BTMaverick707) 13 november 2025

You're just coming out of the closet as a retard, dang!

No one in their right mind will buy Steam Machine over a PC or whatever the next Xbox PC/Console hybrid is

SteamOS can't even play loads of games due to anti-cheat

— Koopa Yüm (@CopeBot69) 13 november 2025

Will Battlefield 6 Work On Steam Machine? Valve Hopes Its New Hardware Will Prompt a Fresh Discussion With Developers Over Kernel-Level Anti-Cheathttps://t.co/oZH4utmEv7#steammachine #steamos #battlefield6 #videogames #gaming

— DreamStation.cc (@DreamStationcc) 13 november 2025

The Steam Machine has one obstacle to get mainstream audiences.

Valve needs to find a way to get Fortnite, Battlefield, or COD to work on it. SteamOS, which is Linux, means many games using kernel level anti-cheat won't work.

If they can get around that, watch out.

— DBFig Gaming (@DBFigGaming) 13 november 2025

Valve has to solve the Linux multiplayer issues that exist to this day or you will not buy a Steam Machine or Gabecube for multiplayer as it won't work for those type games due to anti-cheat software.

— JTHep (@JTHeppy) 13 november 2025

Battlefield 6 und Kernel-Level Anti-Cheat: Auswirkungen auf SteamOS, SteamDeck und Steam Machine #Battlefield6 #Battlefieldhttps://t.co/xSYZ3VdIrZ

— Battlefield-Inside (@bf_inside) 13 november 2025

Valve has been trying for a while to get kernel-level anti-cheat support for SteamOS. Devs have been more inclined to include official Linux support since the Deck launched, if the Steam Machine takes off I think it’s a safe bet that they’ll have more incentive to make it work.

— Billy Pilgrim (@BillyTKDMS) 13 november 2025

People saying Steam Machine can't play certain games due to anti cheat not currently supported by SteamOS are ignoring the fact it's a PC and you can install whatever OS you want including the ability to dual boot whichever OS you need

Welcome to PC

— aFriendlyPest2 (@aFriendlyPest2) 13 november 2025

the problem rn is that with steam machine using SteamOS (hence, using Linux) idk if you could play games like Fortnite right out of the gate, cause the whole anti cheat being kernel level and stuff

— Seihn (@seihn18614) 13 november 2025

Battlefield 6 gilt wegen Kernel-Anti-Cheat als SteamOS-Problemtitel. Valve sieht mit der Steam Machine neue Chancen.https://t.co/IJuZVmoLGi

— PC Games Hardware (@PCGH_Redaktion) 13 november 2025

Källor

• https://www.tweaktown.com/news/108859/valves-steam-machine-cant-run-some-of-the-most-popular-multiplayer-games/index.html
• https://tech4gamers.com/steam-machine-linux-anti-cheat-problem/
• https://techcentral.co.za/valves-linux-console-takes-aim-at-microsofts-gaming-empire/274153/