Why does steam still require 32-bit libs in 2022?

[mpop1976]

I would like to run steam on my Linux bux, but I refuse to polute my system with 32-bit libs.

[dilatedjux]

This question gets asked a lot on the Mac OS forum, but here's a good reply:
https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/2/1743358239831456293/#c1743358239836500807

Long story short: Steam won't abandon 32bit libraries so they can run their client with older games. They're not about to abandon a large amount of games just for a few people. Legacy libraries means a larger range of support. Otherwise, you'd have another "steam on MacOS" situation where most of your library can't launch at all.

[mpop1976]

Well I guess I will not be using steam then.

[dilatedjux]

Cool beans, take care.

[Zyro]

Because many games need 32 bits.
And there's no real reason to port the client, it's not like it needs tons of GB at hand.

[Stamper]

Nothing wrong with 32bits. In many and most cases 32bits can be better and faster than 64bits. Whilst 64bits is more capable (larger numbers, higher memory addresses), if those large numbers are not required, half the number of bits to process (32 vs 64) is better.

[PunkHazard]

Wow, guess this guy hates game preservation too.

[M4XX3d0uT]

Sounds like a linux noob, doesn't know what multiarch is. 32-bit libs won't do anything adverse to your system, if want to run games with Wine you'll find you need 32-bit libs there as well. Proton is far superior to Wine in ease of use. Of course, if you want native performance you can be super nerd like me and run libvirt qemu kvm GPU passthrough.

[raDAMant]

To be clear, Steam itself doesn't actually have to be 32 bit to launch 32 bit games and have 32 bit libraries for them. Honestly, steam is long overdue for a real 64 bit rewrite and if you only want to play new games you then would be able to stick to 64 bit only.

[Der tüddelige Fußgänger]

why is it poluting your system?
Most distros have all the necissary 32-bit libs preinstalled and Arch is just enabling 32 bit in the config file and downloading some files.

Nothing difficult. And if you want to play some 32 bit game like csgo, tf2 or any other old game, you'd have to install those librarys anyways.

But litterely, most of the time, they're just packages chilling in your system. It's not like a lot of packages make you slower, when they're just sitting there unused. Having a lot of s services opened is something else.

[Marlock]

Originally posted by The Nintendo guy:

But litterely, most of the time, they're just packages chilling in your system. It's not like a lot of packages make you slower, when they're just sitting there unused. Having a lot of s services opened is something else.

I guess windows makes people automatically wary of installing stuff due to so much needless background services adding up to a crawl there...

[Ussul w+m1]

Beckward compabality is a feature, not nessesity. I love wide variety of choices. You my friend sound like true apple user.

[Zyro]

Originally posted by Ussul w+m1:

Beckward compabality is a feature, not nessesity. I love wide variety of choices. You my friend sound like true apple user.

What would be the advantage, besides some MB spared on a disc?

What's the disadvantage for Valve, considering they had to pay for it and it woudn't be able to play lots of games - and they'd get lots of support questions?

Now, count those together and you get a reasonable decision.

[Aoi Blue]

The requirement of both 32bit and 64bit libraries makes sense.

To support 64-bit only systems Valve would have to make an entirely separate steam client for them that doesn't support older 32bit games, as well as a build of Proton that doesn't support 32bit Windows games.

[Der tüddelige Fußgänger]

Originally posted by Aoi Blue:

The requirement of both 32bit and 64bit libraries makes sense.

To support 64-bit only systems Valve would have to make an entirely separate steam client for them that doesn't support older 32bit games, as well as a build of Proton that doesn't support 32bit Windows games.

wouldn't it be possible for Valve to just make a 64-bit client which executes a 32-bit executable? Much like how 32-bit Steam can execute a 64-bit Game.

[Zyro]

Originally posted by The Nintendo guy:

wouldn't it be possible for Valve to just make a 64-bit client which executes a 32-bit executable? Much like how 32-bit Steam can execute a 64-bit Game.

I think that would work, but the Steam client in 32 bits forces people to install the 32 bit libraries beforehand the games would need anyway. So if you can run Steam, you can run the games as well (at least you've ruled out this problem).