Valve is making a bold push to bring PC gaming into the living room with the Steam Machine, a compact console-like device that promises up to 4K resolution at 120 Hz on supported displays. According to a review by Matt Kamen at WIRED, the device uses AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) upscaling tech to achieve these high resolutions rather than native rendering. The Steam Machine Verified label on the Steam Store is based on a 1920 x 1080 benchmark, meaning that not all games will perform equally at higher settings.
.jpg)
Performance on a 4K OLED TV
Tests were conducted on a 55-inch 4K OLED TV and a 27-inch 1080p monitor, both with 120-Hz refresh rates, using HDMI. Four games were benchmarked: Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered, Crimson Desert, Lego Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, and Granblue Fantasy Relink: Endless Ragnarok. Frame rates were tracked via the Steam Machine's built-in Performance Overlay.
On the TV, Spider-Man defaulted to 2048 x 1152 resolution and hit a smooth 60 fps. Manually switching to 3840 x 2160 (full 4K) without FSR and with graphics on High dropped performance to 30-45 fps. With FSR enabled and Dynamic Resolution Scaling targeting 60 fps, the system delivered stable 4K at 60 fps with no noticeable image degradation. HDR support improved colors and contrast.
Crimson Desert, a resource-intensive game officially unsupported on the Steam Machine, booted and loaded fine. At Ultra quality with FSR on and Native Anti-Aliasing, it managed only 40 fps in menus and 20-25 fps in-game. Dropping to High gave a marginal 25-30 fps but introduced screen tearing. Reducing upscale resolution to Balanced saw up to 60 fps, though image quality suffered.
Lego Batman at 4K with FSR on and High settings (not Epic) produced wildly variable 15-45 fps. Focusing on performance yielded a reliable 45 fps, with spikes to 75-90 fps, but vehicle sections dropped below 30 fps. On the 1080p monitor, settings at High and upscaling to Ultra Performance finally gave 60 fps, but any improvement to image quality tanked performance back to 30 fps. Kamen noted that the same issues occurred on the powerful MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ gaming handheld, suggesting poor optimization in the game itself.
Performance Summary Table
| Game | Resolution | Settings | Frame Rate (TV) | Frame Rate (Monitor) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spider-Man Remastered | 2048x1152 (default) | High | 60 fps | N/A |
| Spider-Man Remastered | 3840x2160 (4K) | High, no FSR | 30-45 fps | N/A |
| Spider-Man Remastered | 3840x2160 (4K) | High, FSR on | 60 fps | N/A |
| Spider-Man Remastered | 1920x1080 | High | N/A | 60 fps |
| Crimson Desert | 4K (upscaled) | Ultra, FSR Balanced | ~60 fps (but visual degradation) | 60 fps at Ultra |
| Crimson Desert | 1920x1080 | Ultra, ray tracing | N/A | 60 fps |
| Lego Batman | 4K | High, FSR perf | 15-45 fps (spikes 75-90) | 60 fps at Ultra Performance |
| Lego Batman | 1080p | Ultra Performance | N/A | ~30 fps at higher settings |
Implications for Optimization
Kamen's testing revealed that the Steam Machine performs best at 1080p, where it can consistently deliver 60 fps in most titles. At 4K, FSR becomes essential, and even then, demanding games may require compromises in visual quality. Poorly optimized games, like Lego Batman, struggle regardless of resolution, indicating that the hardware's capabilities are limited by software optimization. The comparison with the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ underscores that the Steam Machine cannot salvage unoptimized PC ports.
For enterprise technology leaders evaluating hardware for simulations, training, or visualization, the Steam Machine's reliance on FSR and the variability of performance across different workloads are critical factors. The device demonstrates that high-resolution output via upscaling can work, but raw performance is still constrained by the underlying GPU. The verified benchmark at 1080p suggests that demanding enterprise applications should be tested at that resolution or lower to ensure consistent frame rates.
The Steam Machine represents a hybrid approach: it brings the flexibility of PC gaming to a console form factor, but its success hinges on game developers optimizing for its specific configuration. As with any PC hardware, the best results come from matching the hardware to the software requirements, and the Steam Machine is no exception.
