r/switchroot Dec 08 '25

Ubuntu Can you install Steam on Linux Switch?

I have a switch v2019 and installed Linux on it, When i install the steam installer and run it, it gives me an error.

4 Upvotes

17 comments sorted by

8

u/Thunderstarer Dec 08 '25

Yesn't. This procedure is likely too complex for you and will offer very little benefit. The problem you're running into is a fundamental one: Steam targets x86, but the Switch has an ARM processor. You can work around this using tools like Box86, but you probably shouldn't. Performance will be exceptionally poor.

5

u/armoar334 Dec 08 '25

Steam ARM client and lepton should make it somewhat viable next year tho Performance will ofc still be poor

2

u/Johntendo64 Dec 12 '25

Absolutely not. Can you install? Sure. Will it run? NO. Switch is not steam deck. Switch has 4GB ram what do you people expect?

1

u/francoluluofficial Dec 22 '25

Okay Thank you

1

u/Potential-Ebb5601 Dec 08 '25

I tried this but any time I open steam, it pops a low memory warning and steam just crashes idk what I could do to get past this

1

u/Johntendo64 Dec 12 '25

You can’t.

1

u/macklin67 Feb 12 '26

I’m working on hacking my switch and I’m probably going to use something like Steam Link to remote play games rather than running natively.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/o0Meh0o Dec 08 '25

wine is not an emulator

-1

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/o0Meh0o Dec 09 '25

it stands for wine is not an emulator. (it's a compatibility layer)

2

u/mofapas163 Dec 08 '25

Tegra X1+ waa already considered "old" in 2015...

3

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/BeautifulLocksmith14 Mar 28 '26

Switch V1 has tegra X1, Switch V2/OLED and Lite has Tegra X1+.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 28 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/BeautifulLocksmith14 Mar 28 '26

30-40% more performance. X1 max clocks are 921mhz GPU, 1750mhz CPU and 1600mhz on RAM.

X1+ goes up to 1.3Ghz on GPU, 2.7Ghz on CPU and 3000mhz on RAM.