The Steam Machine store page no longer claims the device is capable of 4K/60fps performance, with Valve quietly making adjustments following the system’s launch. This change follows performance analysis of the device, which brought its ability to deliver such a resolution and frame rate combo into question.
Since announcing the Steam Machine, Valve has described the system as “enabling 4K gaming at 60fps with FSR,” without any further nuance. This claim felt dubious from the get-go, with our Ben pointing out the semi-custom RDNA 3 GPU would have to rely very heavily on upscaling to achieve that target.
Performance analysis following the system’s launch has proven just that. While the Steam Machine certainly is capable of hitting 4K/60fps with FSR in some games, the upscaler simply doesn’t offer enough of a helping hand in some scenarios, with baseline performance falling below even that of the PlayStation 5.
After backlash, Valve has changed their statement on 4K gaming at 60 FPS to 4K gaming on the Steam Machine page (before and after) 😠pic.twitter.com/I8yH18f3QS
— Steam Hardware Updates (@HardwareSteam) June 25, 2026
Following this chain of events, Valve has since updated the Steam Machine store page, dropping any mention of 60fps and caveating resolution capabilities. The company now describes the system as providing “up to 4K gaming with FSR 4.1.”
This choice of words undoubtedly more accurately describes the Steam Machine’s capabilities, and saves Valve from the traps that come with broad performance targets. While this change comes better late than never, this messaging hasn’t been communicated as prolifically as Valve’s original performance claims.
This alteration is also noteworthy for its explicit highlighting of FSR 4.1 support, giving the system access to vastly superior upscaling quality relative to FSR 3.1. The launch of the Steam Machine coincided with new AMD drivers that make running FSR 4.1 on RDNA 3 GPUs possible, a feature Valve understandably couldn’t disclose until launch.
You can expect our Steam Machine review to materialise in the near future. In the meantime, give our Steam Controller review a read to learn more about Valve’s new pad that pairs with the system.
