Steam Machine appears in Vulkan’s conformant product database — upcoming Valve console is certified compliant with the graphics API

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Steam Machine appears in Vulkan’s conformant product database — upcoming Valve console is certified compliant with the graphics API Hope is in the air. Gamers receive hope once again that Valve’s long-delayed Steam Machine is moving forward towards a launch and not ending on the chopping block. The Khronos Group, which created the Vulkan graphics API standard, and is its developer and maintainer, has just listed the AMD Steam Machine as the latest entry in its list of conformant products. While this is in no way, shape, or form a confirmation that the console is arriving soon, it’s still a step in the right direction. It indicates that Valve is still actively working on the console despite the setbacks driven by insane memory and storage prices. This certification does not mean that all Vulkan games will play well on the console — instead, it only says that the future Valve console complies with all the standards set by the body. In other words, the hardware, operating system, and drivers behave as expected with Vulkan, giving developers peace of mind that the entire stack would work consistently. The console’s inclusion in the list does not indicate performance or game compatibility, though. Valve announced the Steam Machine along with the Steam Controller and the Steam Frame in November 2025. This has got many fans excited, especially as the Steam Deck brought SteamOS to a level of polish and compatibility that allowed users to play a big chunk of their Steam libraries on the handheld console. Unfortunately, this was also the time the memory and storage prices started to spiral out of control. Because of this, the Steam Machine runs the risk of becoming too expensive and moving out of reach of its target customers, especially as Valve is adamant that it will not subsidize its hardware. Even though Valve announced the three gadgets simultaneously, the console, controller, and VR headset weren’t intended to launch simultaneously. So, even though the Steam Machine was delayed several times, the company saw no reason to hold back the Steam Controller. Fans could finally get their hands on the $99 accessory after it launched in late April, with Tom’s Hardware giving it four out of five stars in its review. The gaming giant still hasn’t announced an official release date for its latest console, but we hope that the company can secure an affordable memory and storage supplier sooner. That way, it can deliver Steam Machine before the end of the year at a price that most gamers can afford. Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds. Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Jowi Morales is a tech enthusiast with years of experience working in the industry. He’s been writing with several tech publications since 2021, where he’s been interested in tech hardware and consumer electronics. - LordVile Reply It’s really not though is it. It’s going to be 3x the price it should be, be terrible in terms of performance, not upgradable as a desktop PC which is wild and doesn’t run large titles. You might as well just buy a XSX or PS5 for 1/2 to 1/4 of the price.ezst036 said:Being truly Linux based, this little device is going to change everything. If they wanted ti improve Linux they’d release SteamOS as a functional and installable distribution you could install on any PC rather than a proprietary, overpriced box - usertests Reply Your imagination is running wild.LordVile said:You might as well just buy a XSX or PS5 for 1/2 to 1/4 of the price. - TerryLaze Reply There is nothing special about steamOS other than that it fully supports the steamdeck hardware.LordVile said:If they wanted ti improve Linux they’d release SteamOS as a functional and installable distribution you could install on any PC rather than a proprietary, overpriced box Steam already did all of the improvements to linux by helping proton and the whole translation layer thing. You can have a mini emulation linux distro like batocera now that supports steam because of that. Releasing steamOS would actually probably hurt linux because everybody would only use that due to brand recognition, lowering the interest in any other distro. - LordVile Reply Valve stated they’d be price competitive with a SFF PC and not be sold at a loss which would put them north of $1000, add in the price increases since that then you’re talking anywhere from 1000-2000. The XSX retails for 600-650 new at the moment with the PS5 being similar meaning the steam machine is likely 2-3x more expensive than either, 4x when you buy used.usertests said:Your imagination is running wild. - LordVile Reply And the couch friendly, controller friendly OS which is significantly less work than other solutions.TerryLaze said:There is nothing special about steamOS other than that it fully supports the steamdeck hardware. Which doesn’t solve how much of a PITA Linux can be and its barrier to entry.TerryLaze said: Steam already did all of the improvements to linux by helping proton and the whole translation layer thing. See above points.TerryLaze said: You can have a mini emulation linux distro like batocera now that supports steam because of that. Or it would serve as an entry pointTerryLaze said: Releasing steamOS would actually probably hurt linux because everybody would only use that due to brand recognition, lowering the interest in any other distro.