It doesn't take much to be Steam Machine verified.

As part of a presentation at GDC (PDF link) this week, Valve clarified what it takes for games to be given the "verified" status across their current and upcoming hardware lineup.

When it comes to their upcoming Steam Machine, Valve says that if a game is already verified for the Steam Deck, it is then verified for the Steam Machine. In other words, if a game can run at 1080p at 30 FPS it's technically Steam Machine verified.

Of course, the Steam Machine is considerably more powerful than what is found in the Steam Deck. Valve says that the Steam Machine is about "6x" the performance of the Steam Deck and capable of playing Steam titles at 4K 60 FPS with FSR. That 1080p 30 FPS is just the absolute bare minimum that a game needs to hit for official verification. Hopefully developers strive to at least hit 60 FPS at a minimum, even if Valve isn't make it a requirement.

Outside of those performance metrics, games will also need to meet the same input requirements as Steam Deck verified titles. Unlike Steam Deck titles that have requirements for legibility of text and UI components, there will be no requirement for those elements on the Steam Machine. That is probably due to the fact that the Steam Machine requires an external monitor or TV to operate.

Valve's upcoming Steam Frame VR headset will have special requirements to be Steam Frame Verified. Valve says that if a game is streamed from your PC (or Steam Machine) to the headset, there are no requirements since it's not being run natively on the Frame.

Games that will run natively on the Frame in a "stand-alone play" scenario will have verification requirements. To be Steam Frame Verified, games will have to be fully playable using Steam Frame controllers. VR titles will need to run at 90 FPS at a minimum. 2D titles running natively on the Frame will need to run at at least 30 FPS at 720p.