Steam no longer supports Windows 7/8/8.1 operating system as of January 1, 2024
Today, the official Steam blog released a new announcement: from January 1, 2024, Steam will no longer support Microsoft Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 operating systems. Players desiring continued access to the Steam client, purchased games, or other products must employ a more recent Windows operating system.
This decision results from the latest Steam client’s reliance on an embedded version of Google Chrome, as the current Chrome 110 stable release no longer supports Microsoft Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 operating systems. Consequently, Steam must adapt. Future Steam client versions will necessitate Windows features and security updates exclusive to Windows 10 and higher.
According to Valve’s hardware survey for February 2023 released earlier this month, Windows 10 64-bit remains the predominant operating system with a 64.68% market share, despite a 1.41% decrease throughout February. Windows 11 64-bit is rapidly expanding, breaching the 30% threshold for the first time in February, with the continuous growth of 1.68% and a market share surging to 33.27%. The Windows 7 64-bit share persists in diminishing, down 0.19%, settling at 1.48%.
In reality, the combined market share of Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 operating systems amounts to approximately 2%, a relatively minuscule proportion. It is believed that even if the new regulations are implemented next month, the impact on players will be limited. Moreover, since enforcement commences on January 1, 2024, players still have ample time to upgrade their operating systems or even replace their hardware. Thus, it is an opportune moment to transition to the Windows 11 operating system.
