Valve has announced that their beloved game distribution platform will not be compatible with Windows 7 and Windows 8 operating systems beginning next year. Initially, the storefront was created in 2003 as a way to launch and automatically update Valve games. However, the company soon discovered that the software could be expanded to support games from other publishers, thus creating the widely popular gaming platform that we know today.
Back in 2018, Valve made it known that they would be discontinuing their support for Windows XP and Windows Vista. This eventually took effect in 2019. As of today, Valve has shared that they will also be ending their support for Microsoft Windows 7 and 8 come January 1st, 2024.
Every day, Steam attracts a whopping 20 million players who are logged in simultaneously. Recently, the platform broke its own record when 1.5 million players played Counter-Strike: GO at once. This surge in users has been noticeable over the past three years, and it’s largely attributed to the rising trend of working from home.
Valve is shifting its attention towards the development of the Steam Deck, which runs on the SteamOS operating system. It’s important to note that this handheld gaming device does not support Windows 7 or 8. However, Valve has made available drivers for both Windows 10 and 11.
Via Steam