As of January 1, 2024, Steam has officially discontinued support for Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1, impacting users who are still operating the client on these outdated systems. Consequently, Steam Client installations on these platforms will no longer receive updates, including critical security patches, and Steam Support will cease to provide technical assistance for issues related to these operating systems.
While Valve anticipates that Steam games and the client will run on these older systems for some time post the cutoff date, full functionality beyond January 1, 2024, cannot be guaranteed. This decision stems from core features in Steam relying on an embedded version of Google Chrome, no longer compatible with the outdated Windows versions. Additionally, upcoming Steam versions will require Windows features and security updates exclusive to Windows 10 and above.
Valve strongly encourages users to update to a more recent version of Windows to ensure continuous access to Steam and any purchased products. This strategic move aligns with Microsoft’s own cessation of support for Windows 7 in January 2020 and Windows 8.1 in January 2023.
According to Valve’s official Hardware & Software Survey for December 2023, a negligible percentage of users still operate on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, standing at 0.06% and 0.15%, respectively. In contrast, a substantial majority, 53.45%, has transitioned to Windows 10, while 41.95% are utilizing Windows 11.
