Valve Confirms Key Game Verification Detail For Steam Machine

One of the bright spots for PC gaming in 2026 is the upcoming release of Valve’s Steam Machine, even if leaked pricing indicates it might not as affordable as many hoped. While official pricing is still unknown, the company shared in an interview with Game Developer that its verification process, which has been a boon for the Steam Deck alongside developers and publishers, will be implemented for this new Valve system as well.

One of the biggest reasons for the Steam Deck’s success has been the “verified” badge that can be seen by players on a game’s store page. It lets players know with a quick glance that the game will perform well on the handheld, without needing to dig through and decipher the listed minimum or recommended specs. That same badge will also become available for the Steam Machine.


Lawrence Yang, a designer at Valve, provided some insight into the process, saying that "one easy rule of thumb is that if your title is Verified on Steam Deck, it will be Verified on Steam Machine." However, this new verification process will have “fewer constraints” than that of its handheld brethren, which is probably due to the fact that developers don’t have to account for an attached display alongside controller inputs. Developers should expect a similar amount of testing and feedback from the company when submitting their games for verification.

Bringing over this verification process to the Steam Machine is a great move by Valve, as many Steam Deck owners will likely want to pick up the new device and will appreciate having a familiar way of assessing if a game will run well on the hardware. Meanwhile, developers and publishers will be happy to get the boost in sales that has accompanied having the Steam Deck verification badge.