Valve has detailed its verification requirements for both the Steam Machine PC gaming system and the Steam Frame wireless VR headset. Guidance to game developers for the Steam Machine is very similar to that provided for the Steam Deck and, for the most part, has only a few differences. For starters, any game that already meets Steam Deck verification is automatically verified for the Steam Machine. Per Vavle, this means there will already be over 25,000 games ready to run on the new gaming system. However, the reverse won’t necessarily be true since the Steam Machine will have more powerful hardware, so it stands to reason that a game which may be verified for it might not be for the gaming handheld, but Valve has added a recommendation to developers that “Optimizing for lower spec machines expands your audience.”
That being said, Valve is asking developers to target 1080p 30 FPS as the goal in order to meet verification requirements for the Steam Machine. This is definitely a lower-end spec for PC gamers, but it could allow the custom AMD APU to more efficiently reach 4K via upscaling technology. Other general guidance includes providing support for different aspect ratios, something the PC community usually hopes for with various ultrawide ratios such as 21:9, 32:9, and 16:10 for gaming laptops. Not saving graphic settings to the cloud is another, while conversely, offline support should be included. Multiple controller support is also being requested, even if a game is single player, and if a title specifically only supports keyboard and mouse, it will only be verified for the Steam Machine.
Regarding the Steam Frame wireless VR headset, Valve has laid out its verified requirements, showing modest performance needs for its ARM-based processor. Support for x86 gaming is once again provided via Steam’s Proton integration, and there are no verification requirements for streaming from PC to the Steam Frame via its USB dongle. However, for standalone play, games must be compatible with the Steam Frame’s controllers and able to reach up to 90 FPS for VR-designed games and 30 FPS for 2D titles. Developers must also ensure an optimized UI focused on legibility.
- No verified program for streaming
- If it runs well on your host PC, it will run well on Steam Frame
- Streaming requires no special integration, including for VR titles
Some other items being asked of developers in relation to Proton Integration are to avoid using invasive DRM or anti-tamper solutions. Valve adds that it has its own built-in support for a number of mainstream solutions, but acknowledges there are still challenges for custom integrations. Valve also stated that the Legion Go S and Legion Go 2 are currently in a SteamOS compatibility phase, which indicates potential greater adoption of its OS. There’s still no release date for either the Steam Machine or Frame, nor pricing, but we could be getting closer to an official announcement. More information for the above can be found in Valve’s GDC 2026 official slide deck here.