Starting January 1, 2024, Steam has officially ceased support for Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1. This impacts users relying on the client with installations on these outdated operating systems, as they will no longer receive updates or crucial security patches. Steam Support will also discontinue technical assistance for these operating systems.
Valve acknowledges that Steam games and the client may continue to function on these older operating systems for a brief period post the cutoff date, but they cannot guarantee full functionality beyond January 1, 2024. The decision is based on core features in Steam relying on an embedded version of Google Chrome, which is incompatible with the outdated Windows versions. Future Steam versions will necessitate Windows features and security updates exclusive to Windows 10 and above.
Valve strongly advises users to upgrade to a more recent version of Windows to ensure uninterrupted access to Steam and purchased products. This decision aligns with Microsoft’s termination of support for Windows 7 in January 2020 and Windows 8.1 in January 2023.
Valve’s December 2023 Hardware & Software Survey indicates minimal user presence on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, at 0.06% and 0.15%, respectively. A majority, 53.45%, has migrated to Windows 10, while 41.95% are using Windows 11.
