Valve enters into collaboration with Arch Linux in yet another victory for the Linux gaming community

It is hard to argue the fact that the Steam Deck's introduction was a watershed moment for the Linux gaming community. The handheld ran SteamOS 3.0, built atop the lightweight yet capable Arch Linux, which leveraged the Proton compatibility layer for playing Windows games -- a move that was widely applauded by FOSS and Linux gaming enthusiasts alike.

In yet another substantial win for Linux gaming, Arch Linux has revealed that it will soon be participating in a direct collaboration effort with Valve -- the company behind the Steam Deck (currently $540 on Amazon) as well as the Proton compatibility layer. As revealed by developer Levente Polyak, the gaming giant will financially back two pivotal projects that are likely to have a substantial effect on the future of Arch. His official statement is as follows:

"We are excited to announce that Arch Linux is entering into a direct collaboration with Valve. Valve is generously providing backing for two critical projects that will have a huge impact on our distribution: a build service infrastructure and a secure signing enclave" says Levente. He further adds "We believe this collaboration will greatly benefit Arch Linux, and are looking forward to share further development on this mailing list as work progresses."

While the exact amount of funding that Valve is willing to cough up for Arch is not known, there is no mistaking the gravity of this move: it's not just a win for Arch, but great news for the broader Linux community. Gabe Newell, the founder of Valve, has been a proponent of Linux gaming himself for well over a decade, having stated "Linux and open source are the future of gaming" at LinuxCon 2013. Valve's partnership with Arch signals the company's deepening commitment to the Linux ecosystem.

But why Arch? A reasonable question that some may ask. Valve's affection for this nimble, no-nonsense distribution for SteamOS 3.0 was far from an arbitrary choice. Arch Linux is relatively minimalist, boasts a minimal resource footprint, and is highly customisable, making it the perfect foundation for a gaming platform. The titular collaboration effort will further push the envelope not only for what can be expected from the future of Linux gaming, but also for SteamOS, and by extension, the Steam Deck.