If you’re still enjoying your Steam games on Windows 7 or 8, it might be time to think about an upgrade.
In the world of tech, nothing lasts forever, especially when it comes to software. Companies like Microsoft and Apple tend to phase out support for older systems that fewer users rely on. This inevitable progression hasn’t spared Valve either, a leader in gaming distribution with its popular platform, Steam. Valve has been a key player in the gaming industry since the days of Windows XP, but back in January, they made a significant announcement: Windows 7 and 8 would no longer receive official support. This means if you’re encountering technical glitches on these operating systems, Steam Support won’t be able to assist.
Fast forward 11 months and we’ve now seen the arrival of the first Steam update that Windows 7 and 8 users can’t download, as PC Gamer was keen to point out. According to an update post, “This version of the Steam client will no longer run on Windows 7 or Windows 8. Users on these OS versions will not automatically update to this new version of the Steam Client.” Understandably, updating your computer system doesn’t come cheap, and not everyone is ready or able to make that investment. However, statistics from Steam’s October hardware survey show that only 0.29% of users are still on Windows 7.
A rather surprising discovery is that absolutely no one appears to be using Windows 8 anymore, but maybe that’s a relief considering how unpopular that version was. It’s interesting that Valve delayed this decision for so long, especially as the shift towards Windows 11 gains momentum. But sometimes in tech, even the most sensible of moves take time to implement.
