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Steam Machine Games: Valve's Compatibility Mystery Deepens
10 Jul
Summary
- Valve's Steam Machine compatibility ratings appear, with many games unknown.
- Games unsupported on Steam Deck due to graphics may work on Steam Machine.
- Steam Machine users await clear compatibility data for graphically demanding titles.
Valve has initiated the rollout of Steam Machine compatibility ratings, introducing a separate assessment for its living room-focused hardware. This new rating system, appearing on Steam store pages, reveals that Valve is still determining compatibility for many games. Specifically, titles that the Steam Deck struggles to run due to graphical requirements are currently listed as 'Unknown' for the Steam Machine.
These games, often marked 'Unsupported' on Steam Deck for graphical settings, are expected to perform better on the more powerful Steam Machine. However, Valve has stated it is 'still learning about' these games, leaving new Steam Machine owners without clear guidance on their playability. This lack of information affects many popular titles that have previously topped sales charts.
Despite this uncertainty, some good news emerges: games with text readability issues on the Steam Deck are deemed fine on a large TV, potentially boosting their Steam Machine rating. Conversely, games requiring an on-screen keyboard on Steam Deck may still need a wireless keyboard for couch play on the Steam Machine. Valve has yet to provide definitive compatibility statuses for nearly two dozen graphically demanding SteamOS-compatible games.
