With the Steam Machine, Valve aims for a competitive price compared to a PC that you would build yourself (ideally not in a cave with a box of scraps). It also promises 4K/60 FPS performance with AMD FSR enabled, and while the jury is out on how that applies to the most demanding titles, Cyberpunk 2077 looks like a strong candidate.
Digital Foundry went hands-on with the device and reported 1440p/60 FPS with upscaling “fairly easily.” However, when ray-traced sun shadows and reflections were enabled, performance dropped to 30 FPS. While the general sentiment is that 4K/60 FPS will be possible for some games with FSR, it’s highly unlikely to apply to all of them
Which makes sense because every game is optimized differently. Valve hasn’t really said anything about how it compares to current-gen consoles. Digital Foundry believes the Steam Machine’s performance falls between the Xbox Series S and PS5, leaning closer to the latter. Of course, in terms of overall performance, Sony’s console appears to win out.
With the Steam Machine launching in early 2026 alongside the Steam Frame and new Steam Controller, we’ll have to wait and see how they all compare. And for those with Steam Deck PTSD, it should be easier to purchase.
