Testing shows why the Steam Machine’s 8GB of graphics RAM could be a problem
Valve has work to do on the software side—but some fixes are coming.
TL;DR
- The Steam Machine's 8GB of dedicated graphics RAM is a concern, as it's becoming a performance bottleneck for modern midrange GPUs.
- Testing shows that 8GB GPUs perform worse on SteamOS compared to Windows 11, particularly in demanding games and at 1440p resolution with ray-tracing.
- Valve software developer Pierre-Loup Griffais confirmed VRAM management is a focus, explaining that exceeding VRAM capacity leads to significant performance drops as the system spills over to slower system memory.
- Valve is implementing patches to improve video memory management in SteamOS, aiming to bring 8GB GPU performance closer to Windows levels.
- The Steam Machine is Valve's first officially supported hardware that necessitates careful consideration of fixed video memory, unlike devices like the Steam Deck with integrated GPUs that utilize system RAM.