2024 is coming, and Valve once again reminds players that starting from January 1, 2024, Steam will officially stop supporting Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 systems. At that time, the Steam client will not be able to run on Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 systems. Players must update to a newer version of Windows system in order to continue to use Steam and any games or products purchased through Steam.
Valve said that the core functions of Steam must rely on the embedded version of Google Chrome to operate, and older versions of Windows can no longer use this version. Future Steam versions will also use Windows feature and security updates that are only available on Windows 10 or above.
Although Valve will provide support until 2024, all Windows 7/8/8.1 users are strongly recommended to update as soon as possible. Microsoft will terminate security updates and technical support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 in January 2020 and January 2023 respectively. When computers running these operating systems are connected to the Internet, they are vulnerable to new malware and other vulnerabilities that will not be patched. This malware can cause slow performance or crashes on your computer, Steam, and games. This malware can also be used to steal credentials for your Steam account or other services.