Valve has revealed their requirements for games to be verified for Steam Machine and Steam Frame.
As reported by PC Gamer, they are setting a low minimum at 30 FPS 1080p. This is the same minimum Valve set for the Steam Deck, and yes, this is partly the reason for it.
The upside for Steam users is all Steam Deck Verified games are automatically Steam Machine Verified as well. Valve isn’t testing display resolutions and legibility either, with the expectation that Steam Machine users will use suitable displays and take responsibility.
With that in mind, this makes it easier for developers to get their games on Steam Machine, but there’s a flip side to it too.
This means that Steam Machine users can’t expect to play all their games at 60 FPS. It may be a nonissue if Steam Machine has enough power to natively push 60 FPS, but we won’t know that for now.
So if you’re one of those gamers who are done with 30 FPS, this is what you need to know before you buy.