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Steam

ROCKNIX supports Steam (arm64), allowing you to run native Linux games as well as Windows games using FEX + Proton (x86) and Proton (arm64).

Step 1: Install Steam in ROCKNIX

Steam needs to be installed first from Tools by selecting "Install Steam". During the first installation, ROCKNIX will download the FEX Arch rootfs and install the Steam runtime and its dependencies.

After the installation is complete, Steam will appear in the main EmulationStation menu.

Installing ROCKNIX to internal memory significantly decreases Steam startup time, as well as game installation and launch times. Therefore, using ROCKNIX from internal memory is recommended for the best performance.

Step 2: Configure Steam in ROCKNIX

Launch Steam from EmulationStation and sign in with your Steam account.

After successfully logging in, a second "Steam storage" location will be created under /roms/steam. You can copy games from your PC's Steam library there if you do not want to download them again from the Internet.

Custom Proton versions can also be installed by copying them to /storage/.steam/root/compatibilitytools.d

Controller Support

The controller works in games after enabling Steam Input. To enable Steam Input, select the game, click the controller icon (to the right of the 'Play' button), and click "Enable Steam Input".

Override ARM Translations options (x86 protons only)

You can override ARM Translations options (Vulkan, GL, Multiblock) in the Steam Compatibility tab. First, open Steam settings -> System and enable Developer Mode. Once enabled, you’ll be able to access the ARM Translation options in the Compatibility settings.

Step 3: Play

Install or copy your games, then launch them from Steam as usual.

Any game installed by Steam will also appear in the EmulationStation menu under Steam.

Sign in with Mobile App

To sign in with the mobile app, first enable Bluetooth on the device by navigating to: ES Settings -> Controller & Bluetooth Settings -> Enable Bluetooth

Compatibility Notes

  • Games which require RTX may not work.
  • Rocknix Steam Compability DB: RocknixDB
  • Many useful game-specific compatibility notes and launch tweaks can be found on ProtonDB.
  • For some DirectX 12 games that do not boot, try adding the following to the game's launch arguments:
VKD3D_FEATURE_LEVEL=12_1 %command%
  • For Helldivers 2, the following launch arguments may help:
DXVK_CONFIG="dxvk.enableAsync = true; dxvk.gplAsyncCache = true; dxvk.enableGraphicsPipelineLibrary = false; d3d11.cachedDynamicResources=vi; d3d11.maxFeatureLevel = 12_1" %command% -use-d3d11
  • Counter-Strike 2 requires enabling the DRM, Vulkan, and Wayland client host libraries in EmulationStation advanced system options.

Toogle between steam (x86) and (arm64)

In the EmulationStation advanced settings menu, there is an option to switch between Steam versions (x86 and arm64). Use this setting to easily toggle which version of Steam is launched.

Add non-steam game to steam

Switch to the Steam (x86) version, then launch Steam and click "Add a Non-Steam Game" in the bottom left corner. Select the game you want to add, then click "Add Selected Programs". The game will now appear in your Steam library.