If you happen to be running Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1 and are actively still playing PC games, heads-up: Steam will no longer support these operating systems in 2024.
On Tuesday, Valve announced that Steam will not support these versions of windows as of Jan. 1, 2024.
“The Steam Client will no longer run on those versions of Windows,” reads Valve’s statement. “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.”
According to Valve’s post, the drop in support is due to Steam’s latest features relying on an “embedded version of Google Chrome,” which doesn’t work on older versions of Windows. It’s the end of an era, eh?
Naturally, Valve is urging Steam users to install Windows 10 or above, especially since “future versions of Steam” will need security updates and features that are only present in newer Windows versions. There’s no word on when Steam might begin implementing those updates, but it’ll surely start next year.
Some of the very best PC games came out during Windows 7’s heyday, so there’s a tinge of sadness in the air with this news. At least most classics run on Steam Deck, thankfully.
Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.
