Steam operating system is one of the biggest digital stores and a must-have platform for PC gamers. And without it, having various collections of games on PC is out of the question. Though the platform always serves its users with exciting news, this time, the platform has some irksome news for gamers using Steam on Windows 7 and 8.
Steam OS is officially ending its support for Windows 7 and 8 platforms on the 1st of January, 2024. This means that gamers wouldn’t be able to run Steam client on their Windows 7 or 8, and it would be essential for gamers to update to a more recent version of Windows. Though the date might seem a little far, it’s still bad news for gamers who use Steam on the earlier version of Windows.
Why is Steam doing this? And What are the risks of not updating?
You are in the right place if these questions are on your mind. Here we will cover everything you need to know about Steam’s decision to end its Windows 7 and 8 platform support. So without further ado, let’s get started!
Why Is Steam Ending Support For The Previous Versions Of Windows?
We do know that updates are important, but why has Steam made such a perturbing move? The company says, “… core features in Steam rely on an embedded version of Google Chrome, which no longer functions on older versions of Windows.”
The platform also stated that in the future, Steam would require security updates and various Windows features, which are only available on Steam Windows 10, Steam Windows 11, and above.
Why Is Updating Windows Crucial For Players?
Updating to the latest Windows is vital for the players, mainly because Microsoft has been ending its technical support for the earlier version of Windows. For Windows 7, Microsoft ended security updates and technical support in 2020. In 2023, the company did the same for Windows 8.1.
Since these versions of Windows don’t have the technical support from Microsoft, they are susceptible to various exploits and modern malware since these exploits and malware won’t be patched. This can ultimately lead your PC, games, and Steam to crash occasionally or perform poorly.
Furthermore, since Microsoft isn’t offering security updates, malware can now be used to steal credentials for different services, including your Steam account.
Steam Has Done This Before; What’s Different Now?
If you are an exuberant follower of Steam, you would know that Steam officially ended its support for Windows 7 and 8 platforms on the 1st of January 2019. Steam did this because the platform wanted to take advantage of the latest features and various improvements that modern operating systems were offering, like better security, functionality, etc.
Despite Steam ending its support for its version of Windows, gamers could still download games and use Steam. However, there were a few limitations as players up till now could use Steam but couldn’t use various features like the friend list and the store.
How was Steam running on Windows 7 and 8 platforms till now?
This was possible because of the login window and the Small Mode in the Steam library, which wasn’t running on Chromium. Anyways, now the login window is based on Chromium. So gamers can’t download and run Steam on Windows 7 and 8 platforms.
Conclusion
Updates aren’t always bad. Though for many gamers, the move by Steam would be harsh and absurd. But to stay relevant and provide players with the best experience, Steam must use advanced features only available to modern operating systems.
