Steam will drop support for Windows 7 and 8 in January 2024

image credit - bleepingcomputer.com

You might not want to use that old gaming PC for long. Valve has warned that as of January 1, 2024, Steam will no longer support Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1. The latest features of the game client use the built-in version of the Google Chrome browser, which was discontinued in February. Valve also says that new versions of Steam for Windows will require operating system updates that are only available for Windows 10 and up.

As PC Gamer notes, this won't affect most Steam users. According to a recent survey by Valve, less than 1.9% of software viewers are using the correct versions of Windows. A significant number of people are still affected and have no choice but to upgrade their OS or buy a PC with a supported platform. If you need an older version of Windows for work or a retro gaming system, the end of support can be especially problematic.

There is a lot of pressure to go elsewhere. Microsoft discontinued Windows 7 in January 2020 and Windows 8.1 in early 2023. If you want to play Fortnite, Epic Games no longer supports these platforms. In general, old Windows PCs are getting harder and harder to use - a compatibility change in Steam could be the tipping point that prompts you to upgrade.