Will the Steam Machine's 8GB VRAM impact gaming performance?

Yes, the 8GB VRAM can be a bottleneck in some games, especially on SteamOS, leading to performance issues.

What is Valve doing about Steam Machine VRAM problems?

Valve is actively focusing on and working to improve VRAM management in SteamOS and Proton.

How does SteamOS VRAM performance compare to Windows?

Current testing shows 8GB GPUs struggle more on SteamOS than on Windows 11 for certain games and settings.

Home / Technology / 8GB VRAM Limits Steam Machine Gaming

8GB VRAM Limits Steam Machine Gaming

3 Dec, 2025

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Summary

Steam Machine's 8GB VRAM struggles more on SteamOS than Windows.
8GB GPUs show significant performance drops in specific games.
Valve is actively working on VRAM management improvements.

Valve's new Steam Machine is raising concerns due to its 8GB of dedicated graphics RAM, which is becoming a performance limiter for modern GPUs. Initial tests indicate that systems with 8GB VRAM struggle more significantly on SteamOS compared to Windows 11, particularly at 1440p resolution and with demanding graphical settings.

Specific games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Returnal exhibit severe performance degradation on 8GB cards under SteamOS, sometimes making them unplayable. This is attributed to VRAM running out, causing subsequent data to spill over into slower system memory. Valve developer Pierre-Loup Griffais confirmed that VRAM management is a key focus for improvement.

Valve is actively working on software patches to enhance memory management within SteamOS and the Proton translation layer. While the 8GB VRAM will still be a factor in some games, these upcoming fixes aim to ensure that 8GB GPUs perform as well on SteamOS as they do on Windows, mitigating the current performance disparities.