FSR 4 speeds ahead on Steam and Valve is already aiming for a new Stream Machine

Valve accelerates support for FSR 4 and aims for the release of its new Stream Machine.

More stories in the category Steam

• Only 24 hours to claim three free games on the Epic Games Store
• A look at Halo 4: Genesong Cut, a mod for this installment that changes some aspects to something more classic
• Valve claims that Steam Machine surpasses 70 percent of gaming PCs on the market

Valve has taken a significant step in preparing its upcoming device by updating SteamOS and Proton with support for AMD FSR 4, the new scaling technology that the company seems to want to integrate natively into the future Stream Machine, scheduled for release early next year. Although compatibility is not yet complete for all GPU models, the move makes it clear that Valve’s hardware will rely heavily on scaling to achieve high performance at higher resolutions.

The current update allows for full use of FSR 4 on RDNA 4 GPUs, such as the Radeon RX 9000, while RDNA 2 and RDNA 3 rely on an “emulated” mode that significantly reduces performance. Valve has already announced that this emulation will not be part of the stable version of Proton, marking a clear distinction between the basic and advanced use of the technology.

Stream Machine aims for 4K: FSR 4 will be fundamental in the new hardware

During the official presentation of the Stream Machine, Valve avoided directly confirming the integration of FSR 4, but did hint that they were working on it. The company insisted that the console will be “more powerful than 70% of the PCs used by Steam players”, a statement that fits with the need to rely on advanced scaling technologies to ensure smooth performance in modern games.

The integration of FSR 4 would have several advantages for the new machine:

• Improved performance in demanding games without sacrificing too much quality.

• Greater consistency in 4K scenarios thanks to AI-based scaling.

• Optimization of resources in a device designed to compete in the mid-to-high-end range.

• A generational leap from FSR 3, especially in terms of sharpness and temporal reconstruction.

For SteamOS, the arrival of FSR 4 represents a key step in its technical evolution. For PC players, it represents the possibility of standardizing a technology that competes directly with DLSS in open and AMD-compatible environments, and even in more modest configurations.

Valve’s 2026 is shaping up to be a year of movement: new hardware, cutting-edge technology, and an update to the ecosystem that aims to strengthen its presence beyond traditional PCs.