Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the best game to play on Steam Machine right now: a modern classic built for a controller and a big screen, and fully Verified by Valve for the hardware. This list ranks the 20 best Steam Machine games, mixing couch co-op for a sofa full of friends with the biggest recent PC releases, and every single one carries Valve’s Steam Machine Verified badge.
That badge is the one signal we used for eligibility, because it is the only one that tells you a game will run on Steam Machine with no fiddling. Each entry also lists the game’s Steam Deck rating, its Steam user reviews and, for the co-op picks, how many people can play, all checked on November 4, 2026.
How Steam Machine Verified Works
Valve’s Steam Machine is a small cube PC running SteamOS, with what Valve calls “over six times the horsepower of Steam Deck” from a semi-custom AMD CPU and GPU, 16GB of DDR5 plus 8GB of GDDR6, and “up to 4K gaming with FSR 4.1.” Every game in your Steam library can try to run on it, but not every game runs well, so Valve reviews games one by one and gives each a badge.
Valve’s compatibility documentation for developers sets out four ratings:
- Verified: the game “passes all compatibility checks,” and no configuration work is needed to use all of it.
- Playable: it works, “but may require manual work from the user,” such as picking a community controller layout or bringing up the on-screen keyboard yourself.
- Unsupported: it does not run, because of a problem with Proton (the layer that runs Windows games on SteamOS) or the hardware.
- Unknown: the game has not been reviewed yet.
The bar for Verified on Steam Machine is higher than on Steam Deck in one way and different in others. The default settings must hold 30fps at 1080p (Deck’s bar is 30fps at 800p), the game must work with Steam Controller inputs, and Valve skips its display tests on Steam Machine because every TV and monitor is different. Valve also says “any game that is Verified on Steam Deck is guaranteed to be Verified on Steam Machine as well,” but the two ratings are otherwise independent, which is why several games below are only Playable (or even Unsupported) on Deck yet Verified on Steam Machine. Valve says the badge appears in each game’s details on the Steam store when you browse from a Steam Machine; we read every game’s rating from Steam’s store data.
20. Castle Crashers
On Steam Machine: Verified (Steam Deck: Verified). Co-op: up to four players, locally or online. Steam reviews: 96 percent positive across about 110,000 reviews.
The Behemoth’s hand-drawn brawler is the cheapest way to fill a couch. Up to four friends can play locally or online to defend the kingdom, save the princesses and crash some castles, and the Arena mode turns the same characters on each other in team matches or a free-for-all. It is old, it is simple, and it is exactly the kind of game a living-room PC was made for. Steam Machine’s built-in wireless adapter handles up to four Steam Controllers on its own, so you can hand out pads and start.
19. Portal 2
On Steam Machine: Verified (Steam Deck: Verified). Co-op: two players, split-screen or online. Steam reviews: 98 percent positive across about 393,000 reviews.
Valve’s own puzzle classic earns its spot twice over. The single-player campaign is still one of the funniest and cleverest games ever made, and the two-person co-op mode has its own story, characters and test chambers, playable split-screen on one TV. It holds a 95 on Metacritic, the second-highest score on this list.
18. Overcooked! 2
On Steam Machine: Verified (Steam Deck: Verified). Co-op: up to four players, couch or online. Steam reviews: 90 percent positive across about 62,700 reviews.
The best party game you can put on a Steam Machine is also the loudest. Ghost Town Games and Team17’s kitchen chaos sends a team of chefs back to the Onion Kingdom, and it supports classic couch co-op or online play for up to four players. Every level is a new kitchen that falls apart in a new way, which keeps a group shouting at each other in the best sense for hours.
17. Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
On Steam Machine: Verified (Steam Deck: Verified). Multiplayer: split-screen, plus online lobbies of up to 12. Steam reviews: 92 percent positive across about 11,900 reviews.
Sonic Team’s kart racer is the best couch racer on Steam Machine. Races warp through Travel Rings into new worlds mid-race, it plays split-screen on one TV, and online World Match lobbies hold up to 12 racers. It holds an 84 on Metacritic, and SEGA is still adding to it: our news story covers how Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds’ second year adds Duel Mode.
16. Silent Hill 2
On Steam Machine: Verified (Steam Deck: Unsupported). Steam reviews: 94 percent positive across about 44,600 reviews.
Bloober Team’s remake for Konami is the clearest example of what Steam Machine’s extra power changes. On Steam Deck it is rated Unsupported; on Steam Machine it is fully Verified. James Sunderland’s trip back to a fog-choked Silent Hill, looking for traces of his late wife, is one of the best horror games on the hardware, and it is made for a dark room and a big TV. Our Silent Hill hub covers the series.
15. Helldivers 2
On Steam Machine: Verified (Steam Deck: Playable). Co-op: online squads of up to four. Steam reviews: Mostly Positive, 75 percent positive across about 851,500 reviews.
Arrowhead’s co-op shooter is another game that steps up from Playable on Deck to Verified on Steam Machine. Squads of up to four drop onto hostile planets to fight for freedom across the galaxy. Our Helldivers hub and our guide to the best loadouts for each faction will get a new squad started.
14. ARC Raiders
On Steam Machine: Verified (Steam Deck: Playable). Co-op: online, with cross-platform play. Steam reviews: 82 percent positive across about 309,000 reviews.
Embark Studios’ extraction shooter was one of the biggest launches of late 2025, and it is Verified on Steam Machine despite only being Playable on Deck. You head topside into a future Earth overrun by the mechanized ARC, scavenge what you can and try to get out alive, solo or with friends. Our ARC Raiders hub has the rest, including the best skill tree build.
13. Cuphead
On Steam Machine: Verified (Steam Deck: Verified). Co-op: two players, local. Steam reviews: 96 percent positive across about 201,000 reviews.
Studio MDHR’s run-and-gun boss rush looks like a 1930s cartoon because it was made the same way, with hand-drawn cel animation, watercolor backgrounds and original jazz recordings. It is also a brilliant two-player couch game: one of you plays Cuphead, the other Mugman, and you learn every boss together. Big hand-drawn art on a big TV is exactly where it belongs.
12. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
On Steam Machine: Verified (Steam Deck: Verified). Steam reviews: 94 percent positive across about 16,000 reviews.
Kojima Productions’ sequel reached PC on March 19, 2026, in a port by Nixxes Software, and it is Verified on both of Valve’s machines. Sam sets out with new companions to save humanity, and the online layer carries over: what you do in your world affects how other players interact with theirs, and the other way around. It is one of the best-looking games you can run on Steam Machine.
11. Forza Horizon 6
On Steam Machine: Verified (Steam Deck: Verified). Co-op: online, with a campaign you can play with friends. Steam reviews: 80 percent positive across about 91,800 reviews.
Playground Games took Horizon to Japan for its May 18, 2026 release, with more than 550 real-world cars in what the studio calls the series’ biggest open world yet. The campaign can be played solo or in co-op with friends, and the multiplayer modes, car meets and the CoLab event builder are all here too. Notably, Forza Horizon 5 is only Playable on Steam Machine, while the newer game is Verified. Our Forza hub and our pick of the best cars in each class will get you started.
10. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
On Steam Machine: Verified (Steam Deck: Playable). Steam reviews: 93 percent positive across about 148,000 reviews.
Warhorse Studios’ medieval RPG follows young Henry through a huge, grounded open world in 15th-century Europe, and it holds an 89 on Metacritic. It is Playable on Steam Deck but fully Verified on Steam Machine, which makes the Machine the better way to play it from the couch. If you want to change the game, our list of the best Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 mods is the place to start.
9. Stardew Valley
On Steam Machine: Verified (Steam Deck: Verified). Co-op: split-screen on one TV, or online with up to eight players. Steam reviews: 98 percent positive across about 903,000 reviews.
ConcernedApe’s farming sim is the best co-op game on this list for people who do not usually play games together. You inherit your grandfather’s overgrown farm and slowly turn it into a home, and friends can share the farm with you: online, Stardew invites up to seven other players, and a split-screen local co-op mode lets a household play on one TV. Our guide to how co-op works in Stardew Valley walks through both, our best farm type guide helps you pick a map, and the Stardew Valley hub has everything else.
8. Cyberpunk 2077
On Steam Machine: Verified (Steam Deck: Verified). Steam reviews: 87 percent positive across about 903,000 reviews.
CD Projekt Red’s open-world RPG in Night City is one of the most demanding games on Steam, and it is Verified on Steam Machine, which tells you a lot about the hardware. Years of updates have turned it into the game it was meant to be at launch, and it holds an 86 on Metacritic. Our Cyberpunk hub covers the whole game, and our list of the best Cyberpunk 2077 mods covers what to add.
7. Hollow Knight: Silksong
On Steam Machine: Verified (Steam Deck: Verified). Steam reviews: 89 percent positive across about 391,000 reviews.
Team Cherry’s long-awaited sequel arrived on September 4, 2025, and it is huge, hard and gorgeous. Hornet climbs a haunted kingdom ruled by silk and song, and the hand-drawn art and tight controls are made for a controller. It holds a 90 on Metacritic and has a native Linux version, so SteamOS is home turf. Our Silksong hub has a guide for every wall you hit.
6. Resident Evil Requiem
On Steam Machine: Verified (Steam Deck: Playable). Steam reviews: 95 percent positive across about 110,000 reviews.
Capcom’s newest Resident Evil came out on February 26, 2026, with a 92 on Metacritic and 95 percent positive on Steam. It is only Playable on Steam Deck, but Verified on Steam Machine, so this is the Valve machine to play it on. Turn the lights off. Our Resident Evil hub covers the series.
5. Hades II
On Steam Machine: Verified (Steam Deck: Verified). Steam reviews: 95 percent positive across about 115,700 reviews.
Supergiant’s sequel to its own masterpiece left Early Access on September 25, 2025, and it is better than the first. You battle beyond the Underworld with dark sorcery to take on the Titan of Time, and every run adds a little more story, a few more boons and another reason to go again. It holds a 94 on Metacritic, and it is the best game on this list for twenty minutes before bed.
4. Elden Ring
On Steam Machine: Verified (Steam Deck: Verified). Co-op: online co-op and PvP. Steam reviews: 93 percent positive across about 835,000 reviews.
FromSoftware’s open-world masterpiece holds a 94 on Metacritic, and it is a perfect fit for the hardware: a controller game through and through, Verified on both Valve machines. The Lands Between are as much a pleasure to explore as they are to survive, and online co-op lets friends help you through the hardest bosses. Our Elden Ring hub has guides for the whole game, and our list of the best Elden Ring mods is there for a second run.
3. Split Fiction
On Steam Machine: Verified (Steam Deck: Verified). Co-op: two players, split-screen or online, with cross-platform play. Steam reviews: 97 percent positive across about 79,600 reviews.
Hazelight’s follow-up to It Takes Two is the best couch co-op game on Steam Machine. Two writers are pulled into each other’s stories, one science fiction and one fantasy, and every chapter throws a new idea at the pair of you. It is co-op only, it plays split-screen on one TV or online, and Hazelight’s Friend’s Pass lets a second player join for free. If you buy a Steam Machine to play games with someone on the couch, buy this first.
2. Baldur’s Gate 3
On Steam Machine: Verified (Steam Deck: Verified). Co-op: up to four players, online or over LAN, with cross-platform play. Steam reviews: 96 percent positive across about 760,600 reviews.
Larian’s Dungeons and Dragons RPG holds a 96 on Metacritic, the highest score on this list, and it is Verified on Steam Machine with full controller support. Choose from 12 classes and 11 races, or play as one of its Origin heroes, and make choices that reshape a story of fellowship and betrayal. Up to four friends can join you online or over a local network, each playing their own character. Our list of the best Baldur’s Gate 3 mods covers what to add once you have finished.
1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
On Steam Machine: Verified (Steam Deck: Verified). Steam reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive, 95 percent positive across about 184,000 reviews.
Sandfall Interactive’s debut is the best game to own a Steam Machine for. It is a turn-based RPG with real-time mechanics, so you dodge, parry and time your attacks rather than just picking from a menu, and it is built around a controller in a way that feels made for a TV and a couch. You lead the members of Expedition 33 on their quest to destroy the Paintress so she can never paint death again, through a world inspired by Belle Époque France.
It holds a 91 on Metacritic and is Verified on both Steam Deck and Steam Machine, which on the Machine means it holds at least 30fps at 1080p on its default settings. If you only buy one game for the hardware, make it this one. Our Expedition 33 hub has every guide, from how to parry to our tips and tricks for a first run.
Honorable Mentions
All of these are Steam Machine Verified too, and each just missed the cut: Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut, DOOM: The Dark Ages, Balatro, Vampire Survivors and It Takes Two (Verified on Steam Deck as well), plus Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Elden Ring Nightreign, which are Playable on Steam Deck but Verified on Steam Machine. Our Marvel hub covers Spider-Man.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Steam Machine Verified mean? It is Valve’s rating for how well a game runs on Steam Machine. Verified means it passes all of Valve’s compatibility checks with no setup needed, including holding 30fps at 1080p on its default settings and working with Steam Controller inputs. Playable means it runs but may need manual work, Unsupported means it does not run, and Unknown means Valve has not reviewed it yet.
Is every Steam Deck Verified game Verified on Steam Machine? Yes. Valve’s documentation says any game Verified on Steam Deck is guaranteed to be Verified on Steam Machine. It does not work the other way around: Resident Evil Requiem, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Helldivers 2 and ARC Raiders are only Playable on Deck, and Silent Hill 2 is Unsupported there, but all are Verified on Steam Machine.
Why isn’t Red Dead Redemption 2 on the list? It is rated Playable, not Verified, on Steam Machine as of November 4, 2026. So are Forza Horizon 5, R.E.P.O., Lethal Company and Deep Rock Galactic. Playable games run, but Valve says they may need some manual work, so we kept this list to Verified games only.
How many people can play couch co-op on a Steam Machine? Valve says Steam Machine’s built-in Steam Controller adapter supports up to four controllers on its own, so four-player games such as Castle Crashers and Overcooked! 2 work out of the box. You can also use other pads: our guide shows how to connect an Xbox controller to the Steam Machine. For friends who are not in the room, Steam’s Remote Play Together lets them join many local co-op games online.
Do I need more storage for these games? Big recent games take a lot of space, and the base model has a 512GB drive. Valve’s supported upgrade is a microSD card in the front slot; our guide to upgrading the Steam Machine’s RAM and storage covers that and what is involved in going further.
Can I play games that are not on Steam? Yes, with some work. Steam Machine’s Desktop Mode is a full Linux desktop where you can install other apps and launchers, and Valve also lets you install Windows on the Steam Machine, though that replaces SteamOS for now and Valve does not support it.
Can Steam Machine run VR games? Valve’s Steam Frame page lists streaming from a Steam Machine to the headset as coming soon. Until then, our list of the best Steam Frame games covers what the headset plays on its own and what is worth streaming from a PC.