Steam Machine with 8 GiB of VRAM: Valve explains the risk, the lack of native 4K and SteamOS workaround
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Valve explains why the Steam Machine uses only 8 GiB of VRAM, where 4K reaches its limit and how SteamOS is meant to cushion memory problems in games.
It is no secret that 8 GiB of video memory is no longer recommended these days, especially by our GPU specialist and editor Raff. In current games in particular, it can be a critical limit. Valve, however, sees the matter somewhat differently. In an interview with PCGH, the company explained why it chose 8 GiB.
According to Valve, the VRAM decision was made very early on. The company says it had nothing to do with the recent price increases for memory and SSDs. Instead, the goal was to make the Steam Machine as aggressively priced as possible and accessible to a larger group of users. More VRAM would have put the device in a less favorable cost position, especially since memory prices have recently risen more sharply than expected.
Valve itself considers 8 GiB of VRAM sufficient, provided the Steam Machine is used with realistic settings. In the interview, the company cited a render resolution of 1,920 × 1,080 pixels with medium to high settings in most games. Depending on the title, 2,560 × 1,440 pixels should also be possible, although more likely in combination with upscaling. Unsurprisingly, Valve also confirmed once again that the Steam Machine is not intended for native 4K. Instead, users are expected to rely on upscaling.
"We belive 8GB is sufficient for 1080p render resolution, high or medium settings for most games. [...] At high presets, you will be able to run out of VRAM."
- Yazan Aldehayyat (Ingeneur) und Lawrence Yang (Designer)
At the same time, Valve acknowledges that high presets can fill up the video memory. In such cases, problems can occur if a game requests more VRAM than the Steam Machine can provide. According to the manufacturer, it is therefore working on more aggressive VRAM management. Data that is not relevant to the game should be pushed out of video memory more decisively and moved into system memory instead. Valve cites the Steam Overlay as an example, saying it should be placed in system RAM more readily in the future. Opening it could then cause a brief stutter, but more VRAM would remain available for the game itself.
Beyond that, SteamOS is supposed to respond better when video memory fills up. Valve speaks of a more robust exchange between VRAM and system RAM, including swap mechanisms. That is unlikely to improve performance in such scenarios, but it could reduce crashes or instability. Some improvements are said to have already been distributed through a SteamOS beta.
