"Steam Machine Verified" only guarantees 30fps at 1080p on the upcoming system

SeltzerMist · Mar 13, 2026

HideoKojima said:
Im sure there will be 60fps mods

Lossless scaling might help too depending on why a game is at 30fps.

wiiando · Mar 13, 2026

tech3475 said:
I wonder if they'll release a SKU without RAM like some OEMs have? Presuming it's socketed and preferably dual channel.

For example, I have 2x8GB sticks of DDR5 SODIMM lying around from a laptop I bought last year.

Highly doubt it's going to be socketed, when the rest of it is aiming to be small and compact etc, plus generally ram chips on their own not on a substrate should be cheaper, even more so when you're after mass quantity like valve will be.

Exnor · Mar 13, 2026

Oooh that is not good. Either the system is very affordable or it will be dead in months. Series X and PS5 can do a lot better than that. I think even the Switch 2 is better than that on that resolution.

Post automatically merged: Mar 13, 2026

shaunj66 said:
I'm going to sound very entitled but I just refuse to play 30fps games anymore, at least for newer titles - I understand a lot of older games are locked to 30 for technical/animation timing issues. But in 2026 new titles should at the least offer lower graphics at 60 as a minimum.

I don't refuse to play BUT i do share the same sentiment.
FHD @ 30hz is almost unacceptable in 2026. For FPS and racing games is actually unacceptable.

Xzi · Mar 13, 2026

Jayro said:
They should definitely offer a barebones kit where you add your own RAM, to keep the cost low.

The price of SSDs has also ballooned over the last several months. These AI assholes want to bring about an end to personal (local) computing altogether.

Exnor · Mar 13, 2026

K3Nv4 said:
If it's $600 it's worth it, the new Mac book neo is around that price and doesn't even play games. So if we're getting a powerful emulation station along side the fact it can run new AAA titles it's a good deal. People forget minimum requirements are still a 1660 gpu and 16gb of ram to be playable at 30fps. Plus if this is a true PC you'll be able to expand memory and storage.

Not a fair comparison and it as been show the new "Neo" (lol) playing several games like Cyberpunk at 30fps and several emulator running extremely well.

I (usually) don't like Apple products (because they are overpriced) BUT the Neo actually has a great price for what it is. An entry level mac that can be used for everything, but with less performance.
For 600 euros you get a decent screen, a full aluminum body, a decent SoC, and 256GiB SSD. Yes it lacks RAM but for that price it beats every laptop in the price range.

The Steam machine is targeted at video game players and its not even portable, so i don't think that the 600 price tag is such a good deal for the performance it offers.

K3Nv4 · Mar 13, 2026

Exnor said:
Not a fair comparison and it as been show the new "Neo" (lol) playing several games like Cyberpunk at 30fps and several emulator running extremely well.

I (usually) don't like Apple products (because they are overpriced) BUT the Neo actually has a great price for what it is. An entry level mac that can be used for everything, but with less performance.
For 600 euros you get a decent screen, a full aluminum body, a decent SoC, and 256GiB SSD. Yes it lacks RAM but for that price it beats every laptop in the price range.

The Steam machine is targeted at video game players and its not even portable, so i don't think that the 600 price tag is such a good deal for the performance it offers.

If we're talking new technology it's a fair comparison. I'm comparing weaker hardware towards a gaming audience and how prices can be fair to that audience.

Xzi · Mar 13, 2026

Exnor said:
Not a fair comparison and it as been show the new "Neo" (lol) playing several games like Cyberpunk at 30fps and several emulator running extremely well.

That's not strong competition then, Steam Machine plays Cyberpunk at 70+ FPS.

Exnor · Mar 13, 2026

K3Nv4 said:
If we're talking new technology it's a fair comparison. I'm comparing weaker hardware towards a gaming audience and how prices can be fair to that audience.

Well i don't think you can compare a device intended for general purpose computing with another intended primary for gaming. Its like comparing a SUV with a entry level roadster, it makes no sense.

Also both use "old" tech, and in this case, for 600€, so far Apple is a better deal all around.

K3Nv4 · Mar 13, 2026

Exnor said:
Well i don't think you can compare a device intended for general purpose computing with another intended primary for gaming. Its like comparing a SUV with a entry level roadster, it makes no sense.

Also both use "old" tech, and in this case, for 600€, so far Apple is a better deal all around.

Consoles use "old tech" and bloat about gaming optimization, we're talking price to performance and in today's market I can fully see why it would be $600-$1,000

Exnor · Mar 13, 2026

Xzi said:
That's not strong competition then, Steam Machine plays Cyberpunk at 70+ FPS.

Well the device (Neo) is not intended to be a competitor in the gaming space. The other member used it to compare to the Steam Machine and in my opinion was a nonsensical comparison .

K3Nv4 · Mar 13, 2026

Exnor said:
Well the device (Neo) is not intended to be a competitor in the gaming space. The other member used it to compare to the Steam Machine and in my opinion was a nonsensical comparison .

You're just not seeing the point of how cheap prices can still perform well, I could brought up the ayn thor that games well for it's market and price. I think you're just looking for reason to prove me wrong at this point but eh whatever. Lol

Exnor · Mar 13, 2026

K3Nv4 said:
Consoles use "old tech" and bloat about gaming optimization, we're talking price to performance and in today's market I can fully see why it would be $600-$1,000

And i disagree with you opinion and comparison.

For that performance at that price tag a PS5 or a Series X is a better deal.

Maybe i'm too poor to see value in a machine with a price of 600€ that can only do FHD@30Hz when even the Switch 2 can do better for less money .

Xzi · Mar 13, 2026

Exnor said:
Well the device (Neo) is not intended to be a competitor in the gaming space. The other member used it to compare to the Steam Machine and in my opinion was a nonsensical comparison .

If by some miracle Steam Machine is only $600, that's about the only other brand new product you're gonna find selling for that price. Unfortunately I think we have to work under the assumption that it'll be closer to $800 in today's market, but even then that's the same price as some of these high-end PC handhelds, and SM will certainly outperform those too.

Exnor · Mar 13, 2026

K3Nv4 said:
You're just not seeing the point of how cheap prices can still perform well, I could brought up the ayn thor that games well for it's market and price. I think you're just looking for reason to prove me wrong at this point but eh whatever. Lol

What? My point is all about better prices for performance. And for what i can see the Steam Machine does not appeal to my wallet.

K3Nv4 · Mar 13, 2026

Xzi said:
If by some miracle Steam Machine is only $600, that's about the only other brand new product you're gonna find selling for that price. Unfortunately I think we have to work under the assumption that it'll be closer to $800 in today's market, but even then that's the same price as some of these high-end PC handhelds, and SM will certainly outperform those too.

People also still seem to forget Steamos isnt a locked down os bring other values in emulation and having the ability to even install exe to it. So even at $800 it's a better value than a ps5 pro would be even with those options for a living room box.

Xzi · Mar 13, 2026

K3Nv4 said:
People also still seem to forget Steamos isnt a locked down os bring other values in emulation and having the ability to even install exe to it. So even at $800 it's a better value than a ps5 pro would be even with those options for a living room box.

Yeah it's largely dependent on use case and whether someone already has a Steam library or a Playstation library. Base PS5/XSX (which also run at 30 FPS in quality mode) have already seen price increases, and they're likely to see more.

It's not a good time to be buying new gaming hardware in general, but relative to other pre-built desktops SM will still be appealing on price and other features. It'll sell out quick due to limited supply, and Steam Deck also being sold out will create even more demand for it.

K3Nv4 · Mar 13, 2026

Xzi said:
Yeah it's largely dependent on use case and whether someone already has a Steam library or a Playstation library. Base PS5/XSX (which also run at 30 FPS in quality mode) have already seen price increases, and they're likely to see more.

It's not a good time to be buying new gaming hardware in general, but relative to other pre-built desktops SM will still be appealing on price and other features. It'll sell out quick due to limited supply, and Steam Deck also being sold out will create even more demand for it.

Agreed on that I think it's a bit more silly to pay more on high performance for a locked down ecosystem, I'd rather take the few fps loss and have the ability to customize how I want it. Especially these days when everything gets ported to every system. SteamDeck still proves it's value over price these days but given the price hike of technology I fully understand the market. That's why I say it's impressive to even see Apple make a $600 laptop for their ecosystem market, you rarely see that even when the price of tech was at a fair price point. Even at medium requirements at least you're still enjoying the cake, the rest is just extra servings for later.

tech3475 · Mar 13, 2026

wiiando said:
Highly doubt it's going to be socketed, when the rest of it is aiming to be small and compact etc, plus generally ram chips on their own not on a substrate should be cheaper, even more so when you're after mass quantity like valve will be.

I had tried to look it up prior to my post, but I hadn't seen anything 100% confirming it, although looking again just now I found this:

While it's possible to swap out the SODIMM memory modules for increased system RAM, only the SSD (shown under the index finger in this image) is easily upgradable.

https://www.digitalfoundry.net/features/hands-on-with-steam-machine-valves-new-pcconsole-hybrid

Although my expectation is that the VRAM will be soldered.

wiiando · Mar 13, 2026

tech3475 said:
I had tried to look it up prior to my post, but I hadn't seen anything 100% confirming it, although looking again just now I found this:

https://www.digitalfoundry.net/features/hands-on-with-steam-machine-valves-new-pcconsole-hybrid

Although my expectation is that the VRAM will be soldered.

Still, that was just before everything hit the fan, could they do a board revision this late on and opt for soldered to save money?

Jayro · Mar 13, 2026

Xzi said:
The price of SSDs has also ballooned over the last several months. These AI assholes want to bring about an end to personal (local) computing altogether.

We just have to ride this out until they move on beyond consumer hardware, just like crypto mining eventually did.

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