Valve is dropping support for Steam running on 32-bit versions of Windows, starting January 1, 2026. Steam has been available on Windows for more than two decades and, therefore, was built with 32-bit systems in mind. Today, every modern computer is 64-bit, with compatibility layers built in to support older 32-bit apps. So, even though 32-bit apps have carried forward, there's really no place for 32-bit operating systems anymore — which is why Valve is axing support for them.
It's important to understand the distinction between 32-bit apps and operating systems. Steam itself is 32-bit, partly because it's from that era, but mostly because it doesn't need to be updated to a 64-bit instruction set, given its lightweight nature. A lot of games on Steam are also 32-bit. None of that will be affected by the sunsetting of 32-bit Windows support, since it's only support for the operating system itself that's being phased out. Windows 10 32-bit is the only version Steam currently supports anyways, and Valve says just 0.01% of players are still using it today.
