Steam Machine will play the majority of Steam titles ‘at 4K 60 fps with FSR’, but some will require more upscaling than others, Valve says

Valve has finally broken its silence on its forthcoming hardware lineup, revealing new details about the Steam Frame and Steam Machine. The company also explained why it hasn’t yet announced pricing or a release date—blaming the ongoing RAM shortage, humorously dubbed the “RAMpocalypse.”

In a newly released FAQ, Valve shared insights into the expected performance of the Steam Machine. “In our testing, the majority of Steam titles play great at 4K 60 fps with FSR on Steam Machine,” the company stated. However, it added that some games require more aggressive upscaling, and for those titles, it may be better to play at a lower framerate using VRR to maintain a native 1080p internal resolution.

Valve is actively working on several improvements to enhance the gaming experience, including enabling HDMI VRR, investigating better upscaling techniques, and optimizing ray tracing performance in the driver. “We are approaching this from multiple angles,” the FAQ reads, underscoring the company’s commitment to delivering a premium experience.

This 4K at 60 fps target isn’t new. Back in November, Valve engineer Yazan Aldehayyat told PC Gamer, “Our benchmark has always been that it should have enough performance to play every game on Steam at 4K60 when you do some sort of upscaling like FSR.” It’s an ambitious goal, but one that makes sense since the Steam Machine is designed as a living room PC—and most living rooms feature 4K TVs.

Additionally, Valve confirmed that both the SSD and memory modules in the Steam Machine will be upgradable. This flexibility is a welcome feature for users who want to customize or future-proof their devices.

Another interesting announcement is that third-party manufacturers and customers will be able to create their own faceplates for the Steam Machine. Valve plans to share faceplate CAD files, specifications, and details in the coming months to support this customization.

While Valve had hoped to reveal pricing and release dates by now, ongoing shortages in memory and storage components have caused delays. Nonetheless, both the Steam Machine and Steam Frame are still scheduled to launch in the first half of 2026.

Stay tuned for more updates as Valve continues to fine-tune its hardware and prepares to enter the living room gaming market with these new devices.
https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/steam-machine-will-play-the-majority-of-steam-titles-at-4k-60-fps-with-fsr-but-some-will-require-more-upscaling-than-others-valve-says/