Valve is stepping up its game with the Steam Machine, a new plug-and-play PC running SteamOS. What's really interesting is that Valve hopes this device will encourage developers to bring more of those incompatible PC titles to their platform. You know, the ones that just won't play nice with Linux.

The big snag? Games like Valorant and Battlefield 6 use kernel-level anti-cheat software. This type of anti-cheat needs deep access to your system, and it simply can't be emulated in a Linux environment. So, these games are essentially blocked from even launching.

A Valve representative said that while the Steam Machine also needs developer involvement to enable anti-cheat, they believe there's a bigger incentive to do so compared to the Steam Deck. Why? Because they expect more people to dive into multiplayer games on the Steam Machine. They're hoping this will kickstart a new wave of support for anti-cheat solutions.

Cheating has always been a headache in online multiplayer games. Valve, being the creators of Counter-Strike 2, knows this struggle all too well. They're constantly updating VAC Live to catch cheaters, but it's a never-ending battle against those who are always finding new ways to get around the system.

While VAC Live isn't a kernel-level anti-cheat, companies like EA and Activision Blizzard have used more invasive methods. Now, with the Steam Machine acting as a dedicated gaming device, it could push forward the conversation on how to fight cheaters without leaving Linux gamers in the dust. It's worth remembering that Linux is having an increased presence, reaching three percent of gamers this month!