lipflip – Valve is downplaying concerns about limited VRAM in its upcoming Steam Machines, but recent testing suggests caution. New benchmarks from Ars Technica show that Windows 11 delivers stronger performance than SteamOS on systems with 8GB of VRAM. These tests reveal significant gaps in certain games and settings. Many modern games now require more than 8GB of VRAM for recommended settings. Players with less VRAM must often lower graphics options and resolution to maintain performance.
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Valve argues that the Steam Machine’s APU design should avoid these issues. Early evidence does not fully support that claim. Ars found that Returnal runs well on an RX 7600 at 1440p and max settings under Windows. On SteamOS, the same GPU delivers less than one-third of that performance. Systems with 16GB of VRAM, such as those using the RX 7600 XT, do not show this problem.
Cyberpunk also runs slightly worse on SteamOS without ray tracing. With ray tracing enabled, the performance drop becomes severe. Even Assassin’s Creed Valhalla shows around 15 percent lower performance at 1080p and max settings on SteamOS when VRAM is limited to 8GB. These results highlight how VRAM shortages affect certain games. They also show that the problem appears more often on SteamOS than on Windows under similar conditions.
Valve Must Refine SteamOS to Support VRAM-Limited Hardware
Not every game suffers from major issues, and ray tracing is the biggest source of performance drops on 8GB hardware. Most players using budget GPUs or APUs will not enable ray tracing. Still, the performance dip also appears in games with less demanding settings. Desktop testing from Ars shows Windows outperforming SteamOS in nearly every game. This result counters trends seen on many Windows handhelds.
SteamOS has often delivered stronger performance on integrated GPUs in that category. Steam Machines may behave differently because their APU design is not identical to the desktop CPU and GPU setup used in the tests. Valve may deliver better optimization for its final hardware. Even so, the results suggest that 8GB of VRAM remains a real limitation for SteamOS in multiple titles. Upcoming Steam Machines could cost close to one thousand dollars if RAM prices stay high. That cost raises expectations for consistent performance across modern games.
Valve must continue improving SteamOS memory handling and GPU drivers. Doing so will help the system compete with game consoles and similarly specced desktops. Continued refinement will also shape user trust in Valve’s next major hardware launch.