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For an AMD-class Steam Machine, start with the Medium preset, render at 1080p or 1440p, select FSR 3 or TSR at Quality, disable ray tracing, turn motion blur off, and cap the frame rate a few frames below your display’s refresh rate. Aim for a stable, well-paced 60 FPS rather than the highest peak number. If frame pacing still breaks up, change the upscaler to Balanced and lower volumetric, shadow, lighting, or effects settings before reducing output resolution.
That is a sensible starting profile, not a measured Steam Machine benchmark. No authoritative source currently reports Valor Mortis frame rates for a named Steam Machine model, SteamOS build, Proton version, or display. The settings and hardware figures below therefore explain how to tune your system methodically while clearly separating published requirements from assumptions about console-style hardware.
Recommended starting profile
Apply these settings first, then test in a demanding area of the game rather than judging the menu or an empty corridor. The profile prioritizes consistent frame times, readable combat animations, and low enough latency for a 60 FPS target.
| Setting | Starting value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Preset | Medium | Leaves headroom for traversal and combat spikes while avoiding the large quality reductions of Low. |
| Output resolution | 1080p or 1440p, matching the display | Keep the display resolution fixed initially so you can evaluate the upscaler and individual options fairly. |
| Upscaler | FSR 3 Quality | Best first choice for AMD-class hardware according to the available settings references. |
| Fallback upscaler | TSR Quality | Vendor-neutral option when FSR produces shimmer, ghosting, or unstable detail. |
| Ray tracing | Off | Removes one of the most expensive workloads before you sacrifice resolution or image clarity. |
| Motion blur | Off | Improves visibility of enemy wind-ups and keeps camera movement easier to read. |
| Frame generation | Off initially | Only consider it after the non-generated base frame rate already feels responsive. |
| Frame cap | A few FPS below refresh rate | Reduces queueing and helps frame pacing when using variable refresh or a cap. |
| V-Sync | Off when a cap or variable-refresh mode is active | Avoids adding another synchronization layer that can increase latency. |
Use this as a baseline, not a guarantee of 60 FPS on every Steam Machine. The exact result depends on the machine’s processor, graphics power, memory bandwidth, cooling, operating system, driver, and the game’s final release build.
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What the published requirements actually tell you
AMD’s official Valor Mortis page lists a Windows 11 minimum configuration of a Ryzen 7 3700X processor, 16 GB of RAM, a Radeon RX 6700, DirectX 12, and a 50 GB SSD. The Steam listing also names a GeForce RTX 2070 Super alongside the RX 6700 as a graphics reference.
Those figures describe a Windows PC baseline. They do not prove that every Steam Machine can run the game, that a SteamOS installation will have identical performance, or that a machine can be upgraded to those exact parts. Treat them as a comparison point: a Steam Machine with materially less graphics capability or memory may need Balanced upscaling, reduced effects, or a lower output resolution.
- Operating system: the published baseline specifies Windows 11; SteamOS and Proton compatibility may change before release.
- Memory: 16 GB is the stated minimum, so avoid leaving large background applications running on a system with only that amount.
- Storage: reserve at least 50 GB on an SSD, plus free space for updates and shader caches.
- Graphics API: DirectX 12 is listed for the Windows baseline; translation-layer behavior on SteamOS is not established by those requirements.
Choose your target before changing options
60 FPS for readable combat
A stable 60 FPS is the most practical target for a living-room Steam Machine display. It gives consistent input sampling and makes enemy wind-ups easier to follow than an oscillating 70–100 FPS that repeatedly falls during effects-heavy encounters. The Valor Mortis DB performance guide’s instruction is: “Tune for readability, not screenshots.” That is guide language, not a developer guarantee, but it captures the right priority for this game.
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120 Hz or higher displays
Do not assume a 120 Hz panel requires 120 FPS. First establish a reliable 60 FPS or another cap your hardware can sustain. If performance is comfortably above that level, test a higher cap such as 90 or 117 FPS on a 120 Hz display. Keep the cap below refresh and watch frame-time consistency; a lower, even cadence is preferable to frequent drops.
1080p versus 1440p
At 1080p, Quality upscaling usually leaves more graphics headroom. At 1440p, the same Quality setting has a larger pixel workload, so Balanced may be necessary on a lower-powered machine. Change only one variable at a time and compare the same scene, because a resolution change can mask which setting caused a hitch.
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Upscaling: FSR 3, TSR, XeSS, and DLSS
The available settings references list NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR 3, Intel XeSS, Unreal TSR, FXAA, and TAA. Upscalers render internally below the output resolution and reconstruct the final image. Their labels are not interchangeable: Quality preserves more detail and costs more GPU time than Balanced, while frame generation creates additional displayed frames without making the underlying simulation run faster.
| Option | Hardware compatibility | Image behavior in motion | Latency and frame-time guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSR 3 Quality | First choice for AMD-class hardware | Start here; inspect fine geometry, foliage, and particles for shimmer or ghosting. | Uses the real rendered frames; suitable for establishing a responsive base rate. |
| TSR Quality | Vendor-neutral Unreal option | Safest fallback if FSR’s reconstruction is unstable on your system. | Evaluate at the same cap as FSR so pacing, not peak FPS, determines the choice. |
| XeSS | Available when the game and hardware expose it | Compare directly in a moving scene; behavior can differ by GPU and driver. | Use only if it gives steadier frame times or clearer motion than FSR/TSR. |
| DLSS | Requires supported RTX hardware | Not a general option for AMD-only machines. | Choose it only when the Steam Machine actually has supported RTX graphics. |
| FXAA or TAA | Broad compatibility | These are anti-aliasing choices rather than the same type of reconstruction as the temporal upscalers. | Use them as troubleshooting alternatives, not as an automatic performance upgrade. |
Quality or Balanced?
Stay on Quality while the frame rate is stable and the image is clean. Move to Balanced when GPU-limited frame times remain high or fluctuate during combat. Balanced can soften distant detail and increase reconstruction artifacts, so check weapon edges, foliage, thin railings, and particles while turning the camera. If Balanced feels visibly worse but still does not deliver consistent pacing, reduce heavy lighting or volumetric options before lowering output resolution.
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When frame generation is appropriate
Frame generation can increase the number shown by the display, but it does not remove the input-latency cost of the base frames. Enable it only after the non-generated frame rate already feels responsive and stable. A generated 60-FPS presentation built on an erratic or low base rate can look smoother while controls still feel delayed and artifacts become more obvious during fast camera movement.
Lower settings in the order that protects readability
- Disable ray tracing. This is the first change when chasing smoothness. Re-test before touching resolution.
- Reduce volumetric effects. Fog, atmospheric lighting, and similar effects can create large GPU spikes in particular scenes.
- Lower shadow quality or shadow distance. Keep enough shadow detail to understand enemy position, but reduce the most expensive distance or resolution control first if the menu separates them.
- Reduce lighting quality. Heavy lighting options can cost more than their screenshot improvement suggests, especially in scenes with several dynamic sources.
- Reduce effects quality. Particles and post-processing can cause short combat spikes; lower them only as far as needed to preserve attack readability.
- Change FSR or TSR from Quality to Balanced. Make this change after the expensive individual options above so the image does not become softer unnecessarily.
- Lower output resolution. Use this last among the major changes, because it affects the entire image and interface sharpness.
No controlled Steam Machine test ranks every individual Valor Mortis option, so this order is a practical tuning priority rather than a measured performance-delta chart. Your GPU, driver, and game build can change which setting is the actual bottleneck.
Frame pacing, caps, V-Sync, and variable refresh
Average FPS alone cannot show whether controls feel smooth. A game that alternates between 75 and 45 FPS may have a higher average than a locked 60 FPS but feel worse because frame times are uneven. Use an in-game limiter if available; otherwise use the display or platform’s frame-limit control.
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Set a cap below refresh
Choose a cap a few frames below the panel’s refresh rate—for example, 58 FPS on a 60 Hz display or 117 FPS on a 120 Hz display—then verify that the machine can hold it in demanding scenes. The small margin gives the system room to stay inside the variable-refresh window instead of repeatedly hitting the ceiling.
Use V-Sync deliberately
When a reliable frame cap or variable-refresh mode is active, the settings guide recommends turning V-Sync off. If your display does not support variable refresh and you see tearing, test V-Sync on and compare latency. Do not stack several independent caps without a reason; the strictest one will control the result and can make diagnosis harder.
Watch for short spikes
Walk through the same area, rotate the camera quickly, and trigger a busy encounter. A hitch that appears only when new assets load may be a shader or storage-cache event rather than a setting that is too high. Repeated spikes during every effect-heavy attack point more strongly to volumetric, shadow, lighting, or effects quality.
Step-by-step tuning procedure
- Record the baseline. Note display resolution and refresh rate, current preset, upscaler mode, frame cap, and whether variable refresh is enabled.
- Apply the starting profile. Select Medium, Quality FSR 3 or TSR, ray tracing Off, motion blur Off, and a cap below refresh.
- Restart if requested. Some graphics changes apply only after a level reload or game restart; complete that step before judging performance.
- Test a repeatable scene. Use a combat area or location with lighting and effects that previously caused drops. Move, turn, and fight for several minutes.
- Classify the problem. Decide whether the issue is a low sustained frame rate, uneven frame pacing, image artifacts, input delay, or occasional asset-loading hitch.
- Change one setting. Disable ray tracing first, then lower volumetric, shadow, lighting, or effects options in that order.
- Switch upscaler mode only when needed. Move from Quality to Balanced if GPU time remains too high, and inspect motion for ghosting and shimmer.
- Re-test the same scene. Keep the cap and resolution unchanged while comparing each adjustment.
- Lower resolution last. If Balanced plus reduced heavy settings still cannot sustain the target, reduce output resolution or choose a lower preset.
- Consider frame generation last. Enable it only when the base frame rate is already responsive, then check latency during parries, aiming, and rapid turns.
Fixes for common symptoms
Stable average FPS but visible judder
Set a cap a few frames below refresh, disable V-Sync when variable refresh or a cap is active, and test whether the cap is actually being respected. If frame times still spike, lower volumetric and shadow-heavy options rather than immediately lowering resolution.
Input feels delayed after enabling a smoother mode
Turn frame generation off and compare the base frame rate. Generated frames can raise the displayed FPS while preserving the latency of the lower underlying rate. Keep the mode disabled unless controls remain responsive in a demanding scene.
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Enemies or foliage shimmer while moving
Compare FSR 3 Quality with TSR Quality at the same resolution and cap. If TSR is clearer, keep it even if its peak FPS is lower. Avoid judging a still screenshot; inspect thin geometry and particles during a camera pan.
Performance collapses during fog, lighting, or large effects
Disable ray tracing, then reduce volumetric, lighting, shadow, and effects settings. These are the practical priorities for heavy scenes; there is no published Steam Machine ranking that proves one option always costs the most.
Menus run smoothly but gameplay stutters
Use an actual gameplay route for testing. Menus and quiet rooms do not exercise the same lighting, effects, streaming, or combat workloads, so they cannot validate a 60 FPS target.
The game will not start on SteamOS
The published minimum lists Windows 11 and DirectX 12, while no authoritative source establishes a SteamOS build, Proton version, or compatibility result for a Steam Machine. Confirm the game’s current platform support and try the supported operating system before treating graphics settings as the cause.
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Medium preset
Use Medium as the first profile because it leaves room to disable expensive features without immediately sacrificing broad visual quality. It is the most useful starting point for comparing upscalers and frame caps.
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Low preset
Choose Low only when the system cannot sustain the target after ray tracing and the heavy individual settings are reduced. Then raise a single readable setting—such as texture quality, if available—only if memory capacity and frame times allow it.
Custom settings
A custom profile is preferable when the preset spends performance on effects you do not value. Keep Quality upscaling and motion blur off, then selectively reduce volumetrics, shadows, lighting, and effects. Re-test after every change so you know which compromise solved the problem.
Steam Machine limitations and unknowns
“Steam Machine” can describe different AMD-based systems rather than one fixed specification. Clock speeds, cooling, memory allocation, firmware, operating system, driver version, and display output all affect results. The available evidence does not identify a particular Steam Machine model or provide a reproducible Valor Mortis FPS measurement.
Game availability, final graphics options, drivers, and compatibility may change before release. Do not treat the Windows minimum requirements as a promise that a console-style system will run the game at 60 FPS, nor treat a successful launch as proof of stable performance. Keep enough storage for the 50 GB installation plus updates, and update the operating system and graphics driver before troubleshooting a repeatable fault.
A practical decision tree
- Below target everywhere: disable ray tracing, reduce volumetrics and shadows, switch Quality to Balanced, then lower resolution.
- Target reached but pacing is uneven: cap below refresh, disable V-Sync when using variable refresh, and reduce the setting that causes repeated spikes.
- Image is unstable: compare FSR 3 Quality with TSR Quality before reducing resolution.
- Controls feel slow: disable frame generation and verify the base frame rate.
- Only one scene stutters: test streaming or shader-cache behavior and compare after a restart; do not assume the global preset is at fault.
- No reliable result on SteamOS: verify platform and Proton support because the published baseline is Windows 11 with DirectX 12.
What to expect from AMD’s visual features
AMD describes its Valor Mortis technology bundle this way: “This suite of ML-powered technologies deliver ultra-smooth gameplay, lifelike lighting, and cinematic detail, making every frame nothing short of extraordinary.” That is AMD’s description of its technology bundle, not an independent Steam Machine performance measurement. Use the actual in-game frame-time behavior and readability of combat to decide whether a feature belongs in your profile.
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