Valve Steam Machine Review: SteamOS Gaming Performance Across Modern AAA Titles

The new Steam Machine combines compact design, custom AMD hardware, and SteamOS for a streamlined gaming experience.

The Steam Machine is back, a tiny PC gaming system built around SteamOS, offering console-like simplicity and desktop-class technology. The new system is designed to fit comfortably into an entertainment center while delivering modern gaming performance, using specialized AMD hardware, expandable storage, integrated power delivery, and the familiar Steam Deck software experience.

The Steam Machine is supposed to be a simplified gaming platform that sits between traditional consoles and gaming PCs, with several configurations to choose from.

Valve Steam Machine First Impressions

The unwrapping experience is carefully thought out, with a pull tab on the front of the packaging that causes the entire box to unfold, bringing the Steam Machine to light. One of the most striking things you notice right away is how big it is.

The system is much smaller in person than it seems in promotional photographs. It's a clean and compact design, with a big fan on the back that sucks air through the chassis and over the internal cooling system.

Unlike many small-form-factor PCs, this one requires no external power brick because the power supply is integrated directly into the chassis. Compared to the Xbox Series X, both systems share a similar overall shape, but the Steam Machine occupies considerably less space.

The package includes a high-quality HDMI cable, a power cable, and a user manual. The review configuration also includes a Steam Controller and two additional face plates.

Steam Controller and Custom Face Plates

The included Steam Controller serves as an ideal companion for the system. It comes packaged with its wireless puck and charging accessories, making it immediately ready for use with the Steam Machine.

One of the most distinctive physical features of the system is its removable magnetic faceplate. The magnets are surprisingly strong, allowing users to easily swap designs. The review package includes two alternate face plates.

The first design uses Valve's signature orange color scheme, while the second features a walnut-style wood grain finish. Walnut provides the Steam Machine a luxury look that may fit right in with a home entertainment center. The face plates are removable, so you can personalize them, make your own, or maybe even find third-party options down the line.

Design and Connectivity

The front of the Steam Machine includes:

• Two USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A ports
• A high-speed microSD card slot
• A power button
• Around the rear, the system offers:
• One USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port
• Two USB 2.0 Type-A ports
• Gigabit Ethernet
• Power input
• HDMI output
• DisplayPort output

The microSD card slot is a simple method to extend capacity. The combination of HDMI and DisplayPort means flexibility for gaming monitors and televisions.

Internal Hardware & Cooling System

The Steam Machine has totally bespoke hardware, built specifically for this platform. The system has a proprietary 6-core, 12-thread CP and a specialized GPU based on RDNA3.

To fit these elements into such a small case, Valve has devised a new cooling method from scratch, based on a large shared heatsink that cools both the CPU and GPU. The large rear fan draws air through the system to help keep temperatures down under load while maintaining the device's tiny footprint.

Initial Setup and SteamOS Experience

When you turn the Steam Machine on, you’ll see a customized RGB LED light strip on the front of the chassis. The setup process is simple and familiar, allowing users to complete configuration using either a keyboard or a controller.

The Steam Controller is supported out of the box, but you can also use additional controllers like Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch controllers. Once connected to Wi-Fi, updating, and logging into Steam, the interface is essentially identical to what users experience on the Steam Deck. Games, settings,s and performance tools are immediately available in the familiar SteamOS experience.

Specifictions

• The Steam Machine is powered by:
• Semi-custom AMD Zen4 CPU
• 6 cores and 12 threads
• Up to 30W TDP
• Up to 4.8GHz boost clock
• 16GB DDR5 system memory
• Graphics are handled by a dedicated semi-custom AMD RDNA3 GPU featuring:
• 8GB GDDR6 VRAM
• 28 compute units
• Up to 2.45GHz clock speed
• 110W TGP
• Storage options include:
• 512GB M.2 SSD
• 2TB M.2 SSD

Additional features include:

• Wi-Fi 6E
• Bluetooth 5.3
• microSD expansion support

The system weighs 2.6kg, making it surprisingly substantial for its size. At launch, FSR 4 is not yet available on the platform. In a future version, Valve will add support, and with better upscaling tech, image quality and gaming performance should improve.

SteamOS Features and Customization

The SteamOS UI is nearly identical to the Steam Deck’s. Users can access extensive performance settings, including frame-rate limits, refresh-rate controls, VRR support, HDR options, and performance overlays.

The review unit was running SteamOS Hollow 3.8.20 and reported the following hardware:

• AMD Custom CPU 1772
• 6 cores and 12 threads
• 16GB memory
• Semi-custom AMD GPU with 8GB VRAM

SteamOS also includes dedicated customization options for the front RGB light bar. Users can select different lighting effects such as rainbow, breathing, and solid-color modes while adjusting brightness and animation speed.

Like the Steam Deck, the Steam Machine can switch into desktop mode, allowing users to perform productivity tasks, media creation, and general desktop computing in addition to gaming.

Gaming Performance on Valve Steam Machine

Red Dead Redemption 2

Running at 1440p using a High/Ultra settings mix without FSR, Red Dead Redemption 2 delivers an average of approximately 76fps in the open world. Indoor environments push frame rates into the low 90fps range.

Valve has stated that the Steam Machine is targeting 4K60 gaming through scaling technologies, though achieving this consistently will likely depend heavily on future FSR4 support.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

At 1440p High settings with FSR set to Balanced, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart struggles to maintain a locked 60fps. The GPU's performance is roughly comparable to an RX 7600, providing a noticeable improvement over the RX 6600 while remaining strongest at 1080p Ultra or 1440p High with scaling enabled.

Cyberpunk 2077

At the default 1080p Ultra preset with automatic FSR, Cyberpunk 2077 runs at an average of roughly 81fps.

When the resolution is increased to 1440p Ultra with FSR Balanced, the average frame rate is about 72fps. Locking the game to 60 fps makes for a smooth experience, especially when paired with a monitor with VRR support.

Mortal Kombat 1

Mortal Kombat 1 runs really smoothly at 1440p High settings without FSR. Fighting games in general should provide an excellent experience on the Steam Machine, assuming compatibility with SteamOS.

Resident Evil Requiem

Running at 1440p with High setting and FSR Quality, Resident Evil Requiem averages approximately 110 fps. Resident Evil Requiem is already highly optimized and benefits significantly from the available hardware.

Elden Ring

Elden Ring runs at a consistent 60 fps on 1440p with High settings. With the visual settings cranked up to Maximum, the frame rate is around 56 fps, but we expect future software optimizations to improve overall performance.

The Witcher 3

At 1440p Ultra, The Witcher 3 performs well with FSR Quality. Without FSR, it averages roughly 58fps.

Forza Horizon  6

Forza Horizon 6 at 1440p with High settings, without FSR, is around 71 fps. The game looks excellent at native resolution and demonstrates the system's capabilities in visually demanding racing titles.

Benchmark Results

Several games were benchmarked at native resolutions without any scaling technology enabled.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

• 1080p Very High: 118fps
• 1440p Very High: 86fps
• 4K Very High: 44fps

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered

• 1080p Very High: 58fps
• 1440p Very High: 48fps
• 4K Very High: 28fps

Cyberpunk 2077

• 1080p Ultra: 74fps
• 1440p Ultra: 45fps
• 4K Ultra: 18fps

These results demonstrate that while native 1080p and 1440p gaming are very achievable, 4K gaming will rely heavily on future scaling technologies such as FSR 4.

Pricing and Configurations

The Steam Machine launches in multiple configurations.

• 512GB Model
• Steam Machine: $1,049
• Steam Machine + Steam Controller Bundle: $1,128

2TB Model

• Steam Machine: $1,315
• Steam Machine + Steam Controller Bundle: $1,428
• The 2TB version also includes the additional face plates.
• The Steam Machine delivers a compelling combination of compact design, dedicated graphics hardware, and the convenience of SteamOS.

The build quality is robust, the software experience is refined,d and gaming performance is strong at 1080p and 1440p HD. Native 4K gaming is still a tough nut to crack, but future upgrades, FSR4 support, and ongoing SteamOS enhancements could mean performance improves dramatically over time. The Steam Machine is an interesting new option if you're searching for a console-like experience for PC gaming in a very small package.