Valve's Steam Machine, a $1,000 console-like PC, has been put to the test over two weeks, with more than 25 games evaluated to determine its performance and value. Designed to function as a plug-and-play device for living room gaming, the Steam Machine defaults to 1080p resolution, upscaled to a 4K television, with most games left at their default settings for testing. The aim was to replicate a console experience with minimal user tinkering.
Some titles performed exceptionally well out of the box. Cyberpunk 2077 ran at a stable 60 FPS with light ray tracing, looking sharp even when upscaled. Mouse: P.I. for Hire, an indie FPS, achieved 60 FPS with default options. The ever-reliable Left 4 Dead 2 also ran great, as did Hades 2, which performed effortlessly. Doom: The Dark Ages, powered by the Id Tech engine, played perfectly, though its default settings were slightly blurry. Indie title Megabonk ran even better than on Steam Deck, offering a fantastic experience. Overwatch was a standout, running flawlessly at higher visuals and resolution, matching the PS5's performance. Fallout 4, a large open-world RPG, ran surprisingly well without any adjustments. Vampire Crawlers, a 2D and 2.5D game, upscaled nicely and looked sharp on a big TV. The Last of Us Part II Remastered also performed admirably, feeling console-like with its smooth performance and good visuals. Peak, a co-op climbing game, worked flawlessly, with one tester noting no discernible difference compared to their high-end PC.
Other games required some adjustments for optimal performance. Borderlands 4 was initially a "messy" experience but became playable after tweaking settings and FSR. Spider-Man 2 was playable by default but required resolution increases and frame generation for a sharper image comparable to the PS5. Grand Theft Auto V had a rough initial setup due to the Rockstar Launcher and digital keyboard but ran well and looked sharp when visuals were tuned up. Gears of War Reloaded was playable but blurry by default, sharpening up with increased visual settings. Control Ultimate Edition struggled, requiring settings to be turned down and ray-tracing disabled for a stable 60 FPS. Arc Raiders was playable with solid visuals, though the image was somewhat fuzzy. Elden Ring looked nice out of the box and even better with minor tweaks. Resident Evil 4 remake was playable with default settings but benefited from tuning, which slightly impacted performance. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart initially ran poorly but became a stable 60 FPS with no ray-tracing and plenty of upscaling after adjustments. Helldivers 2 ran great by default but was less sharp than its PS5 Pro counterpart. Resident Evil Requiem, while not as visually impressive as the PS5 Pro version, played well and looked sharp enough on its own. Warhammer 40K: Darktide hovered in the mid-40s by default but reached a stable 60 FPS with FSR and lower visual settings. Rage, an older FPS, required some tinkering with controller settings but ultimately worked well for couch play.
Several games did not perform as well or presented significant setup hurdles. Silent Hill 2 looked worse than its PS5 counterpart. Windrose did not feel great even after tweaking settings, and turning on frame generation introduced too much input lag. Halo: The Master Chief Collection failed to launch due to an inability to log in with the Steam Machine's digital keyboard.
Despite its capable performance in many titles, the Steam Machine's $1,000 price point is a significant barrier. While it offers an easy, tiny, and quiet way to play PC games on a TV, the cost means that cheaper pre-built PCs are a more economical alternative. For those not already invested in a large Steam library, or for gamers anticipating titles like Grand Theft Auto 6, a traditional console like the Series S may be a more appealing option. The Steam Machine appears to be a niche product, likely best suited for dedicated tinkerers or users prioritizing a compact, quiet living room gaming solution with a substantial budget, rather than a mainstream recommendation. The device's potential would have been better realized if it had launched earlier and at a lower price point.