Steam no longer supports Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. It is necessary to switch to a newer version or Linux

Although the vast majority of users today are running Windows 10 or 11, a notable number of people still use older versions, such as 7 or 8.1, for work and entertainment. In terms of functionality, there is not much to criticize today, but the problem is the support from popular applications. As it turns out, as of yesterday, January 1, 2024, even Steam requires updating to a newer version of Windows.

The loss of support for older Windows is due to Steam's reliance on a built-in version of the Google Chrome browser, which no longer works properly on systems 7, 8, or 8.1.

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Steam no longer officially supports Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1. what does that mean? Steam client installations in these environments will no longer receive any updates, including security patches. Therefore, Steam Support will not be able to provide support to users in case of issues. Interestingly, the Valve team expects the Steam client and games on older operating systems to continue working for some time, but is already recommending older Windows users upgrade to version 10 or 11. Migrating to Linux may also be a solution.

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We can also read Official announcementThe loss of support for older Windows is due to the fact that Steam is based on a built-in version of the Google Chrome browser, which no longer works correctly on systems 7, 8 or 8.1. It seems that only a small number of players will be affected by the described changes – according to December 2023 statistics, only 0.74% of Steam users use Windows 7, and Windows 8.1 – 0.15% of users. It is worth noting that on February 15, Steam will also stop supporting other operating systems. This time, those using MacBooks with macOS 10.13 and 10.14 will have to switch to the latest version of the software.

Source: Steam