Steam on Linux goes 64-bit in Valve's latest beta, but 32-bit libraries are staying

Valve's 15 October Steam beta makes the Linux client a 64-bit app in a Steam Runtime container, but 32-bit host libraries are still required. It also adds Achievement Sets.

AI-drafted from 15 sources. This story was written with AI from the outside reporting listed under Sources, and checked by automated tools before it went up. The originals have the full detail.

Valve's Steam client beta of 15 October changes how Steam itself runs on Linux. The patch notes say: "The Steam client is now a 64bit application." They add that "The Steam client now runs inside a Steam Runtime container," which Valve says "will help the Steam client provide a more consistent experience across multiple distributions. This is the same technology used by Steam games." Phoronix notes that this follows the SteamRT3 beta from earlier in the year, which began the preparation for 64-bit.

Multilib is still required

Anyone hoping to strip 32-bit libraries off their system will be disappointed. In the steam-for-linux issue tracker on 15 October, the account lostgoat wrote: "Note that i386 multilib is still required. Running steam in a 64bit only environment is NOT supported." The reason given: "32bit games will require a 32bit graphics driver stack to run correctly. Even with Proton WOW64, there is a large library of linux native 32bit games that would stop working if the host system was 64bit only." The same reply says removing 32-bit host libraries "was not a goal of this change", though it should reduce how many are needed.

The updated beta requirements spell it out: x86_64 systems must have both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the required libraries and graphics drivers, and 64-bit-only systems are not supported. The client needs glibc 2.31 or newer, Linux kernel 5.6 or newer, a CPU with CMPXCHG16B and SSE3, and a Vulkan compatible graphics card. That reply also asked people not to publish unofficial packages of the beta, saying they lead inexperienced users to file support tickets with game developers or Valve. A r/linux_gaming thread on the comment drew a long argument about whether multilib should be optional.

Achievement Sets

The other headline item is for every platform. Achievement Sets let developers group achievements into collections, each with its own progress bar and a "set complete" trophy. DLC sets only count for players who have the DLC, completed sets stay complete when new ones are added, and achievements or whole sets can be archived when they can no longer be earned, which Valve pitches for seasonal and holiday events. Valve's launch list includes Portal 2, Team Fortress 2, DREDGE, Crusader Kings III and Forza Horizon 5.

The Steamworks post says developers do not need to update their game or the Steamworks SDK: "Your existing achievements, API names, and unlock calls all keep working. Sets are configured entirely in Steamworks." The rebuilt editor adds CSV bulk import and export, generated locked icons and developer-only sets for testing. The documentation sets a limit of 40 sets per app, including the base game set, and 5,000 achievements (100 for apps not yet vetted).

Smaller studios are already using it. The developer of Alastrius: Star-Fighter posted on 16 October that the game's 40 achievements are now split into Medals, Missions, Star-Fighters, Bosses, Enemies and Special, matching the groups its in-game tracker already used. That post says Steam plans to roll the system out to all users in the coming weeks; for now it needs the client beta.

Sources

Image: Valve

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