According to Valve at the recent Game Developers Conference 2026, the Steam Machine will be able to easily run all Steam Deck Verified games. Additionally, for games to be verified on the upcoming platform, they must run at 1080p and 30 FPS, the same standard used for the Steam Deck. This means that while the device will be able to run games at higher settings, titles must reach at least 1080p at 30 FPS to qualify. However, for the Steam Frame, VR games running on its native chip must meet a 90 FPS requirement, while 2D titles only need to run at 30 FPS at 720p. An offline mode for games at launch was also teased, optimizing titles for lower performing devices, and improving controller support.
Valve recently stated in its Steam Year in Review article that it is uncertain when the Steam Machine will launch, as ongoing RAM shortages continue to complicate plans. “We hope to ship in 2026, but as we shared recently, memory and storage shortages have created challenges for us,” reads the message. “We’ll share updates publicly when we finalize our plans!” This could mean that the console may see a delay.
In a blog post last month, Valve revealed that the recent memory and storage shortages and price hikes have caused the company to re-evaluate its shipping schedule and pricing. This is especially the case for the Steam Machine and the Steam Frame VR headset. However, the company also reiterated that it still plans to launch the game in the first half of the year. “Our goal of shipping all three products in the first half of the year has not changed. But we have work to do to land on concrete pricing and launch dates that we can confidently announce,” reads the post. Notably, in the same blog, the company noted that the Steam Machine runs most Steam titles at 4K 60FPs with FSR on, and that its SSD and memory will be upgradable.
