Valve has announced that Steam will be ending support for older Windows systems from next year. The popular gaming client will no longer operate on Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 versions as of January 1st, 2024. Players must update to a more recent operating system in order to access any games purchased through Steam.
The decision was made due to Steam's recent upgrades that offer a better UI experience on desktop. Steam ceasing support for old Windows versions is not that alarming, as only 2% of players use those operating systems, according to the monthly Steam hardware survey from last month. Considering most recent games no longer support Windows 7 and Windows 8, the removal of old-gen OS isn't that surprising. Microsoft also ceased supporting those versions of Windows in January 2023, meaning they will no longer receive security updates.
"As of January 1, 2024, Steam will officially stop supporting the Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 operating systems. After that date, the Steam Client will no longer run on those versions of Windows. In order to continue running Steam and any games or other products purchased through Steam, users will need to update to a more recent version of Windows." Valve said in a new announcement on its official website.
This is due to the newest features on Steam relying on Chromium, an embedded version of Google Chrome that no longer functions on those older versions. "In addition, future versions of Steam will require Windows features and security updates only present in Windows 10 and above."
It appears that the company aims to put resources into supporting new generation OS rather than bringing updates to older versions used by significantly fewer players. Microsoft, on the other hand, is gearing up to end support for Windows 10 starting in 2025. Players can likely expect Steam to cease supporting this operating system shortly after Microsoft puts it onto its dusty shelves. According to the hardware survey, 62% of users run the Steam application on Windows 10, which means the potential removal of this version will affect millions of players.
In other Steam news, Dark and Darker has been removed from the platform due to a DMCA takedown. Ironmace has issued a statement regarding the removal, saying that they have been served a cease and desist letter and their legal team is currently working on the issue.