Valve's Steam Machine has no problem handling intensive games at 4K resolution. This is great news for anyone who wants to play games with high graphics fidelity in a small form factor. It's important because the Steam Machine is showing us that it's powerful enough to handle high-end games that still run at 60 FPS without any external PC devices. If you're in the market for a direct port from a handheld device to a PC, you can look at specific guides to ensure you're getting the best experience in terms of smooth gameplay.
Valve's desktop unit runs PRAGMATA, Dishonored, and more at high fidelity
The Steam Machine is Valve's way of providing a desktop-level gaming experience separate from their handheld gaming offerings but using the same architecture. We've been following the progress of this device closely, even with recent news of Mortal Shell 2 Hits Steam. This game also showcased the Steam Machine's prowess in 4K performance.
The Steam Machine is Linux-based software. This enables the machine to handle many different PC games even though some changes have occurred in the PC gaming space.
Depending on the game engine and the upscaling features you have access to, the experience can vary widely. For instance, PRAGMATA needs Mesh Quality set to Low, Screen Space Reflections disabled, and either FSR 3 or HelixSR set to Ultra Performance to consistently achieve a 60 FPS. On the other hand, Iron Nest can run at a steady 60 FPS using Very Low quality settings.
We prefer this method of getting a 60 FPS, as it ensures maximum stability. With these settings, we're able to avoid the intensive rendering loads while still getting an acceptable frame rate.
Many other games run smoothly on the Steam Machine with little to no adjustments needed. Disgaea 5 Complete plays perfectly fine at 4K resolution, and using the highest quality settings. On Dishonored, you can experience smooth stealth and combat gameplay at a steady 60 FPS using the highest quality settings.
On the PAYDAY 2 title, you'll have no problem playing at 4K resolution using the default settings. Even though there's news of Linux support being removed from other parts of the platform, it's still holding up well at 4K resolution.
These 5 games are a great starting point when it comes to the capabilities of the Steam Machine when using it in a home theater/gaming setup. You'll get console-type ease of use with PC-level resolution. You just need to use the right graphical settings. Make sure to check out our previous article on Mortal Shell 2 Hits Steam to learn more about the software that's available on the Steam Machine right now.
Source: SteamDeckHQ
Discussion
0 comments