• circuitfarmer@lemmy.world
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    22 hours ago

    The answer is that they arent…

    But they are: https://www.tomshardware.com/peripherals/gaming-headsets/hands-on-with-valves-new-steam-frame-headset-arm-powered-mixed-mode-device-uses-new-fex-translation-layer-for-traditional-x86-games

    You have the choice of streaming to Frame or running games directly on the device. If the latter, they’re utilizing FEX as the ARM translation layer.

    Of course performance will be best with streaming, but I’m still surprised you can run anything at all locally.

    • unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de
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      22 hours ago

      Which is why i wrote this

      The most you will be able to play on device will be stuff that would run on a phone.

      and this

      So really only 2D or low poly 3D games will run i expect.

      The translation layer and additional requirements for VR will further reduce the selection of playable games. But yes technically you can run x86 programs on it, just not at a “playable level” for 99% of games.

      • circuitfarmer@lemmy.world
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        22 hours ago

        Got it, yeah I misunderstood your comment as meaning there was no translation layer at all.

        For me it’s just something to keep an eye on. I think ARM holds a lot of promise as x86 has started to feel a bit stagnant. Things like FEX could minimally be a good way to ensure backwards compatibility if devs start embracing ARM in any major way, but I suspect it is years out, if it happens at all.

        But if I get a Frame, it would 100% be for the streaming.

        • unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de
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          21 hours ago

          I badly phrased it tbh, so its a fair misunderstanding :)

          One thing i kinda dislike about all ARM devices ive played with so far is the lack of a proper replacement for the concept of a BIOS. I want a subsystem for multiboot and toggling hardware features as well as tuning and stuff like that.

          Sure its cool that you can just flash an SD card and it works, but you can keep that as default functionality while still allowing more customizability.

          • circuitfarmer@lemmy.world
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            21 hours ago

            And given the history of BIOS as a concept, I guess that isn’t too surprising.

            I wonder how much of that kind of thing stems from the fact that many of the really hardcore PC tinkerers aren’t using ARM (yet).