Starting from January 1, 2024, Steam, an online platform for purchasing computer games, will no longer support Windows 7 and Windows 8 systems. The majority of Windows users have already upgraded to either Windows 10 or Windows 11, with almost 95% of Windows desktop users using one of these two versions, according to StatCounter. Steam's own data indicates that as of November 2023, the number of users on Windows 10 and Windows 11 is 98.98%.
Unfortunately, this means that those who still have Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1 installed on their computers will no longer be able to receive support from Steam. The Steam client on these operating systems will no longer receive any updates, including security updates. Technical support from Steam will also not be available and there is no guarantee that the application will continue to function.
Advertisеment
To ensure continued functionality of Steam and any purchased games or products, Valve advises users to update to a more recent version of Windows. Although Steam expects the client and games to continue working without updates after January 1, 2024, there is no guarantee of continued functionality beyond that date.
According to Valve, this change is necessary because Steam's core functionality relies on a built-in version of the Google Chrome browser that is incompatible with older versions of Windows. Additionally, future versions of Steam will require updates that are only available on Windows 10 and higher.
It's important to note that free support for Windows 7 officially ended in 2020 and paid support ended in January 2023. Similarly, Windows 8.1 lost support at the beginning of 2023. Valve has ensured compatibility with outdated software for a considerable period of time.
The system update requirements will affect a very small number of users. Steam has collected extensive information about player configurations and systems over the years, with users' knowledge and permission. This data provides valuable insights for developers, sellers, and equipment manufacturers, showing the actual volume and share of devices used for gaming. For example, Steam's statistics reveal that the most popular video card currently is the RTX 3060, with the top 3 consisting of budget models RTX 3060, GTX 1650, and the older GTX 1060, released almost 8 years ago in 2016.
According to Steam statistics, Microsoft is close to reaching the 50% mark in terms of mass consumer migration from Windows 10 to Windows 11. The transition seems to be happening more smoothly compared to the shift from Windows 7 to Windows 10. By 2024, Windows 11 is expected to become the dominant version, as official support for Windows 10 will only last until October 2025.
Support us
Winaero greatly relies on your support. You can help the site keep bringing you interesting and useful content and software by using these options:
If you like this article, please share it using the buttons below. It won't take a lot from you, but it will help us grow. Thanks for your support!
Advertisеment
