Valve has officially revealed the requirements developers must meet to be considered verified for their upcoming games. steam machine. Games that are already certified for Steam Deck will automatically be granted certified status for Steam Machine as well, but the new guidelines give us an idea of what the future holds for console/PC hybrid devices.
Gamers have been eagerly awaiting Valve's long-rumored new Steam hardware, which has finally been revealed in late 2025. Initially, Valve planned to release all new devices by early 2026 at the latest, but current price fluctuations and fluctuations in computing component availability have forced it to change its plans. These new guidelines for developers could be good news for hopeful fans, as they indicate that Valve is continuing to move forward with its plans.
Valve's Opinion on Steam Machine Power
A Valve engineer explains just how powerful the upcoming Steam Machine system will be and reveals the reasoning behind its technical specifications.
Valve Detailed Requirements for Steam Machine Verification Status
At GDC 2026, Valve shared the requirements for developers to classify their games as Steam Machine certified on the gaming platform. As mentioned, any game currently classified as Steam Deck Verified will automatically receive this classification. For other games, developers are expected to have input expectations equivalent to Steam Deck certification status requirements. As confirmed, no display resolution or readability testing is required, but developers must maintain 30FPS at 1080p for this to be considered. The performance of Steam Machine is 6 times that of Steam Deck. Developers also need to make sure that the entire game can be played with a controller only.
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Rearranges covers into correct US release order.
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This new information sheds some light on what Valve expects from its own hardware. The company has previously stated that it is still attempting to meet a 2026 release date for all new Steam hardware, but has not yet provided a specific release window or opened pre-orders to consumers. However, sharing these requirements means that Valve is still focused on its plans, and it will help ensure that more games are ready for the Steam Machine when it finally launches.
Gamers may also notice a gap between what was initially promised about the Steam Machine's performance and what developers need to do to get the game verified. The Steam Machine was advertised as being able to play “most” games in 4K at 60 frames per second rather than 1080p at 30FPS. However, the corresponding performance metrics are specifically applied with FSR upscaling. Valve appears to indicate that the game can meet native 1080p/30FPS guidelines and that with FSR in place, the game will meet the higher levels of performance promised by the company.
Even though this is a step in the right direction, gamers are already impatient and concerned about the release of new Steam hardware. Many people have stated that they want Valve to sell the Steam Controller because they are most interested in it rather than the Steam Machine and Steam Frame. Others are worried about the potential cost of hardware that hasn't yet been revealed. However, according to leaked information, the Steam Machine could cost around $1,000 USD. It's unclear how much the Steam Controller or Steam Frame VR headsets will cost, but since the Steam Controller uses less advanced hardware than other devices, it may more closely match the prices of competitors on the market. In any case, these rumors should be ignored until Valve is ready to share more information.
Source: Steam
