Valve’s introduction of the Steam Machine has generated considerable excitement about the forthcoming gaming PC. Equipped with an AMD Zen 4 CPU, an AMD RDNA 3 GPU, and up to 16GB of RAM, the cube-shaped device isn’t expected to arrive until 2026 — providing gamers ample time to speculate on specifications and the launch of Steam’s new VR headset, revealed alongside the Steam Machine.
That being said, a perplexing issue has emerged: The Steam Machine’s HDMI is merely 2.0-certified. For those who may not be aware, HDMI 2.1 has been around since 2017, and it’s the type of connection you’ll find on contemporary consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, along with various gaming PC graphics cards. It certainly seems peculiar that Valve’s latest gaming system is categorized as a 2.0 device, but the intrigue only deepens.
Examining the Steam Machine’s specifications more closely, one will note that the HDMI 2.0 port supports up to 4K/120Hz and is compatible with HDR, FreeSync, and CEC. All of these are HDMI 2.1 specifications — which essentially indicates that the Steam PC is technically HDMI 2.1-compatible. The sole reason the new device can’t claim the official 2.1 designation is that the HDMI Forum prohibits HDMI 2.1 on Linux devices, the operating system that powers all Steam hardware.
HDMI 2.0, or HDMI 2.1 in disguise?
Does this imply you’ll be able to connect the Steam Machine to an HDMI 2.1 port on a 4K television effortlessly? The reality is that we’re uncertain, at least until we can put it to the test. However, we do know that Steam’s newest hardware will also feature a DisplayPort 1.4 connection, an alternative that some users may choose when connecting the Machine to a PC monitor. On paper, DisplayPort 1.4 surpasses HDMI 2.0 in terms of bandwidth capabilities, supporting up to 32.4Gbps compared to HDMI 2.0’s 18Gbps.
Nonetheless, this is not to suggest that gamers won’t experience excellent performance from the Steam Machine’s HDMI 2.0 port, which appears to function as an HDMI 2.1 in disguise. 4K/60Hz and even 1440p/120Hz are still visually impressive, and that’s before incorporating features like FreeSync. Still, since we’re compelled to deal with the HDMI 2.0 label, some gamers might end up evaluating the port by standards it no longer truly fits.
While the Steam Machine’s HDMI port seems to be experiencing an identity crisis, the Steam Deck’s USB-C port possesses a multitude of tricks, all of which are delightful surprises.
