To enable FSR on the Steam Machine, turn it on in the game’s own graphics settings (the upscaling option), and for FSR 4.1, set the game’s compatibility tool to Proton Experimental, which Valve says now carries “FSR4.1 … for titles supporting FSR upgrade.” For games without an FSR option, SteamOS has its own upscaler: the Sharp scaling filter in the Quick Access Menu’s Performance tab.
Those are three different things that all get called FSR, and they stack in different ways. Below is how each one works, the exact menus, how to check FSR is actually running, and what Valve says about 4K on this hardware.
Why FSR Matters on the Steam Machine
Valve’s Steam Machine store page promises “up to 4k gaming with FSR 4.1,” from a semi-custom AMD RDNA3 GPU with 28 compute units and 8GB of GDDR6. Two details shape how you use it:
- The default game resolution is 1080p. Valve’s Steam Machine Feature and Troubleshooting guide says “1080p is the system default game resolution on Steam Machine (labeled ‘Default’ in the Display dropdown menu),” and that it is the resolution Valve uses for Steam Machine Verified testing. You can change it in Settings > Display or per game.
- Most games need upscaling for 4K. Valve’s February 2026 Steam Machine FAQ says the majority of Steam games play great at 4K and 60 FPS with FSR on the Machine, but some need more upscaling than others, and for those it may be better to play at a lower frame rate with VRR and keep a 1080p internal resolution.
Method 1: Turn On FSR in the Game’s Settings
This is the one to try first, because the game does the upscaling with its own motion data.
- Launch the game and open its graphics or display settings.
- Find the upscaler option. Games name it differently: Upscaling, Super Resolution, Upscaling Method or just FSR.
- Choose FSR (or AMD FSR), then pick a quality preset. Quality renders closest to your output resolution and looks best, while the Performance presets render lower and run faster.
- Set the game’s output resolution to your TV’s resolution if you want FSR to do the work of reaching 4K.
Method 2: Get FSR 4.1 With Proton Experimental
Valve’s July 28, 2026 Steam Machine update post says: “FSR4.1 is now available on Proton Experimental for titles supporting FSR upgrade.” Proton is the compatibility layer that runs Windows games on SteamOS, and you can pick its version per game:
- In your library, select the game and open its Properties… from the gear or options menu.
- Go to Compatibility.
- Open Select compatibility tool and choose Proton Experimental. Since Valve’s October 13, 2026 client update, this dropdown is always visible and the recommended tool shows as Default.
- Launch the game and select FSR in its upscaling menu.
The catch is “titles supporting FSR upgrade.” AMD’s upgrade path works with games built on FSR 3.1, so a game that only offers FSR 2 is unlikely to qualify. If a game runs worse on Proton Experimental, set the dropdown back to Default.
Method 3: Use SteamOS’s Sharp Scaling Filter
For games with no FSR option at all, SteamOS can upscale the whole picture itself:
- Start the game and open the Quick Access Menu (our FPS guide lists the button for every controller).
- Go to the Performance tab.
- Set Scaling Filter to Sharp, which Steam describes as a “platform-specific super-resolution sharpening filter.”
- Adjust the Sharpness slider to taste.
This only does anything when the game renders below your display’s resolution. Steam’s Maximum Game Resolution setting in Settings > Display explains that “Steam will scale all game output to your device’s native resolution using the Scaling Mode and Scaling Filter settings in the Performance tab of the Quick-Access Menu.” With the 1080p default on a 4K TV, that is most games. If your build of SteamOS shows an FSR option in this menu instead, it is the same idea: Steam describes it as “When the game is upscaled, sharpens image quality.”
Leave Scaling Mode on Auto unless you have a reason not to. The other modes are Integer, Fit, Fill and Stretch.
How to Check That FSR Is On
Turn on the performance overlay in Quick Access > Performance (see our guide to showing FPS on the Steam Machine). It has an FSR indicator: Valve’s SteamOS 3.8 notes fixed an “FSR badge remaining off in the performance overlay, even if it was actually active,” so update to the latest SteamOS under Settings > System > Software Updates before trusting it. Compare the frame rate with FSR on and off in the same spot to see what it buys you.
On Windows 11
If you have installed Windows 11 on your Steam Machine, SteamOS’s Sharp filter and Proton are not involved. Use the game’s own FSR option, exactly as in Method 1. Our Desktop Mode guide covers the SteamOS desktop if you only need it for a moment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I turn on FSR on the Steam Machine? In most games, choose FSR in the game’s own upscaling setting. For games with no option, set Scaling Filter to Sharp in Quick Access > Performance.
How do I get FSR 4.1 on the Steam Machine? Set the game’s compatibility tool to Proton Experimental in Properties > Compatibility. Valve says FSR 4.1 is available there for titles supporting the FSR upgrade.
Does the Sharp filter work if the game already runs at 4K? No. It only applies when the game’s output is smaller than your display’s resolution.
Why is my game running at 1080p? 1080p is the Steam Machine’s default game resolution. Change it in Settings > Display, or per game in the game’s settings.
Should I use the game’s FSR or the system filter? Try the game’s own FSR first. Use the system’s Sharp filter for games that have no upscaler of their own.