2024 is a year of “cleaning” on the Windows platform. On the one hand, Microsoft is removing programs from Windows 11 to make way for new AI-based Copilot+ features; and on the other hand, technical support for older versions of Windows ends, with the end of Windows 10 scheduled for next year.
When a version of Windows is no longer supported, stop receiving updates of any kind; As a result, security holes are not closed and the system does not receive news of new versions. Despite this, millions of users still don’t upgrade to a newer version of Windows, either because they can’t afford it or don’t want to.
Now, those users who are still using older versions of Windows have some bad news: new versions of Steam will stop working on Windows 7 and Windows 8. In this way, the largest PC video game platform in the world is abandoning millions of players who were still in these versions; although there is still a way to continue using Steam unofficially.
The end of support for Windows 7 and Windows 8 means that from now on, we can no longer use the latest version of Steam on computers equipped with these systems. However, older versions of Steam should continue to work without issue, at least for now; The solution to continue playing is therefore to prevent Steam from updating to the latest version, always keeping it on the current version to avoid problems.
The good news is that everything is automatic: Steam will no longer update if we have Windows 7 or Windows 8so we don’t have to worry, as long as we don’t try to install the new version of Steam manually. It’s unclear how long this “trick” will work, and it’s likely that Valve will completely remove access to accounts using Windows 7 and Windows 8.
The reason behind this change is the most common: Valve wants to focus on new operating systems, and removing support for older systems allows it to focus its resources. However, this decision remains surprising, given the great popularity of Windows 7 among gamers; In fact, many people consider it better for gaming than Windows 8 and Windows 10, thanks to the fact that it consumes fewer resources and doesn’t contain as much unwanted software.
That’s why millions of people continue to use Windows 7 every day; The system maintains a 2.62% share according to Statcounter, and Steam’s own data indicates that it is still used by 0.28% of gaming teams, which represents several hundred thousand players, who will now have to switch to a more modern version of Windows. if you can.