Steam Frame developer checklist (Standalone Verified)

Steam Frame developer checklist

I put this together from Valve's Steam Frame Standalone Compatibility Review Process and the pages it links to. Items tagged valve follow Valve's published criteria, quoted where the wording matters. Items tagged advice are mine. Your ticks are saved in this browser and nowhere else.

The numbers Valve tests against. 2D titles: your game must run at a minimum 30 fps at 1280x720 during normal play. VR titles: your game must run at a minimum of 72 fps at 1728x1728 during normal play. VR games below 1440x1440 will appear with an Unsupported badge.

There are four statuses: Verified, Playable, Unsupported and Unknown. The review only applies for games (both 2D and VR) running locally on Steam Frame, so streaming isn't rated.

1. Build for the hardware

Ship a build the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 can run: native Linux ARM64, an Android APK (runs in Lepton), or an x86 Windows or Linux build (runs through Proton and FEX). Valve: Supported execution models include Windows and Linux PC titles as well as native ARM64 and Android-based APKs. valve

Use Vulkan. Valve calls it Steam Frame's native graphics API, and DirectX goes through DXVK. valve

If you rely on Proton and FEX, test on the device. FEX-translated code and uncached GPU buffer access are slower (from Valve's Unity notes). A native ARM64 build skips the translation. advice

Steamworks SDK 1.63+ (custom engines), GodotSteam 4.17+, or Steamworks.NET with libsteam_api.so 1.64+. These ship the Android ARM64 and Linux ARM64 libraries. valve

2. Performance

2D: holds 30 fps at 1280x720 during normal play. valve

VR: holds 72 fps at 1728x1728 during normal play, and never renders below 1440x1440. With dynamic resolution, the lowest resolution observed is the one that counts. valve

VR: submits depth and motion vectors for reprojection (OpenXR XR_KHR_composition_layer_depth + XR_EXT_frame_synthesis; OpenVR VRTextureWithMotion_t). Valve: We strongly recommend submitting both motion vector and depth suitable for reprojection. valve

VR: tested with SteamVR Developer > Draw Performance Assessment in Headset showing VERIFIED, and perfcriteria.txt in the SteamVR logs folder lists no violations. valve

VR: ships vrpreferences.json at the package root with sensible preferResolution and preferMinRefreshRate defaults. valve

VR: uses foveated rendering where the engine supports it (the XR_FB_foveation family, or eye-tracked through XR_META_foveation_eye_tracked). It buys headroom. advice

3. Input

Supports Steam Frame's physical controls. The default controller configuration reaches all content, and Players must not need to adjust any in-game settings in order to enable controller support. valve

On-screen glyphs must either match Frame button names, or match Xbox 360/One button names. Right controller: A B X Y, Menu, Bumper. Left: D-pad, View, Bumper. Both: trigger, grip, thumbstick. valve

VR: VR games that render controller models must show Frame's controllers. Use the runtime's render models (XR_EXT_render_model) or Frame meshes. valve

VR: binds the Frame controller OpenXR profile /interaction_profiles/valve/frame_controller_valve (extension XR_VALVE_frame_controller_interaction). Without it SteamVR remaps Oculus Touch bindings, and the Touch top button maps to all three top buttons. valve

Flat: ships a Steam Input default configuration. Frame controllers show up as a generic gamepad or keyboard/mouse depending on bindings. valve

4. Startup

No warnings about the device, Proton or an unsupported platform at launch. valve

No launcher. If you can't avoid one, it has to work fully with the controller. Valve: We recommend strongly against requiring the user to navigate a launcher to play your game. valve

Interface text is legible at the test resolution (Valve test item: InterfaceTextIsLegible). valve

5. Test and submit

Developer Mode on a retail Frame (Steam Settings > System > Enable Developer Mode) gives you ssh, adb and rdp. Valve's docs don't mention a separate devkit model. valve

Build deployed with the SteamOS Devkit Client (Steam app 943760) with Runtime set to Android, Steam Linux Runtime 3.0 ARM64 (Sniper) or Steam Play (Proton). valve

Recorded a perfrecording-*.csv (Quick Access Menu > Performance > Record VR Performance) for your own records. advice

Android builds: an Android depot and a launch option with Operating System = Android exist in Steamworks. The presence of an Android depot is what allows APKs to be installed and launched via Lepton. valve

Valve reviews the game on a Frame, posts point-by-point results on the partner site, and gives you a window to respond before the badge goes live. valve

Sources: Valve's Steamworks documentation for Steam Frame (compat review, what runs standalone, input, performance overlay, loading games). Fetched 2026-10-14. Valve can change these pages at any time.