Valve recently announced the expansion of its Steam Deck Verified program to include the Steam Machine, providing separate ratings for game compatibility on this new hardware. The ratings started appearing on Steam store pages, highlighting Valve's ongoing assessment of which games can run effectively on the Steam Machine, particularly those that the Steam Deck struggles to handle.
Understanding Steam Machine Compatibility
As Valve rolls out compatibility ratings, it's clear that games already verified for the Steam Deck are likely to receive similar verification for the Steam Machine. However, games that have been labeled as incompatible with SteamOS will not function on the Steam Machine either. The challenge arises for titles that Valve has acknowledged as capable of loading on SteamOS but cannot perform adequately on the Steam Deck's specifications.
For instance, the Steam Deck requires a minimum of 1200×800 resolution at 30 frames per second (fps), while the Steam Machine demands 1080p at the same fps. This discrepancy suggests that many titles could run smoothly on the Steam Machine but are currently marked as “Unsupported” on the Steam Deck due to graphical limitations.
Valve's Ongoing Learning Process
Despite the clear capabilities of the Steam Machine, Valve has indicated that it is still evaluating compatibility for many games that are graphically unsupported on the Steam Deck. The status for these titles is currently listed as “Unknown” for the Steam Machine. Valve's statement reflects their commitment to understanding how these games can perform on newer hardware, but it leaves potential Steam Machine owners in the dark about which popular titles they can expect to play.
Many of these games, which have historically appeared on Steam's Top Sellers list, include titles like Elden Ring and Final Fantasy XVI. Steam Machine owners are eager for clarity on whether they can enjoy these games, especially since they might run perfectly on the more powerful hardware.
Positive Updates for Steam Machine Users
There is some positive news for Steam Machine users following the latest verification update. Games that have text too small to be readable on the Steam Deck can now be confirmed as playable on larger screens, such as TVs. Titles like 007: First Light and Lies of P have transitioned from “Playable” on the Steam Deck to “Verified” on the Steam Machine.
However, games that require an on-screen keyboard, which have been downgraded to “Playable” on the Steam Deck, still carry similar warnings for the Steam Machine. Users may need to have a wireless keyboard handy while gaming from their couch. A partial list of SteamOS-compatible games that currently have an “Unknown” Steam Machine compatibility status includes:
- Abiotic Factor
- Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
- Black Myth Wukong
- Dead Space (2023)
- Dragon’s Dogma 2
- Elden Ring
- Final Fantasy XVI
- Forspoken
- Hell is Us
- Horizon: Forbidden West
- Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
- Metro Exodus
- Ninja Gaiden 2: Black
- Nioh 3
- Resident Evil Requiem
- Returnal
- Rise of the Ronin
- Stalker 2
- Starfield
- The Quarry
- Until Dawn
As Valve continues to refine its compatibility ratings, users hope for a clearer picture of which games will be playable on the Steam Machine.
🤖 This article was rewritten by Feed and Figures' editorial AI from a report originally published by Ars Technica. Facts and quotes are preserved from the original; the rewrite focuses on clarity and structure. For the unedited original, see the source link below.
