If we go by the official Steam survey, the combination of Windows 7 and 8.x doesn't exceed 1 percent of users. In fact, there are more Linux players than on the legacy versions of Windows, so the end of official Steam support on Windows 7 and 8.x shouldn't have a major impact. However, this presents a good opportunity to review the technical limitations Steam faces, and most importantly, what options exist for the end user.
The official statement is relatively short but effective: On January 1, 2024, Steam ended official support for Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1. Clients already installed on these operating systems will stop receiving updates of all kinds (including security). The Steam Support section will not provide support for issues related to these operating systems, and Steam cannot guarantee its functionality in the future, unless the user updates their Windows installation or adopts an alternative with support.
Steam, now without Windows 7 or 8.x. What's next?
If we return to the official statistics, Windows 10 in its 64-bit version is used by 53.45 percent of users (a combined global value), while Windows 11 x64 reaches 41.95 percent. Despite its restrictions regarding hardware requirements, Windows 11 has developed a good base, and most likely it will continue to grow in this environment (general usage tells a different story). After all, there are less than 24 months of official support left for Windows 10, but the real problem (always according to Valve) is that the Steam client depends on elements from the Chromium project, which tends to abandon legacy versions of Windows quite quickly.
If updating to Windows 10 or Windows 11 is not an option... the third way is to adopt a compatible Linux distro. Thanks to the notable advances of Proton, playing on Linux has ceased to be a disappointment and has become a perfectly valid alternative. Some big titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, and Baldur's Gate 3 have already received the Gold label (meaning they work perfectly with a couple of adjustments), and others have native builds, such as Counter-Strike 2.
Official announcement: Click here
