Steam is now not supported on Home windows 7, Home windows 8, and Home windows 8.1 as of January 1, with the corporate recommending customers improve to a more recent working system.
The gaming firm warned final 12 months that the Steam consumer could be unsupported within the New Yr, displaying a countdown on the high of the gaming consumer displaying what number of days earlier than the sport consumer will now not obtain software program updates.
The Steam consumer now exhibits 0 days left, linking to a help article in regards to the finish of help.
Supply: BleepingComputer.com
“As of January 1 2024, Steam will formally cease supporting the Home windows 7, Home windows 8 and Home windows 8.1 working methods,” reads the help article.
“After that date, current Steam Consumer installations on these working methods will now not obtain updates of any variety together with safety updates.”
“Steam Assist can be unable to supply customers technical help for points associated to the outdated working methods, and Steam can be unable to ensure continued performance of Steam on the unsupported working system variations.”
Microsoft stopped supporting Home windows 7 on January 14, 2020, and Home windows 8.1 reached the tip of help on January 10, 2023.
Microsoft provided the enterprise two years of prolonged safety updates. Nonetheless, this paid service plan expired in January 2023, inflicting all Home windows 7 installations to now not be supported and shielded from new vulnerabilities and cybersecurity threats.
Steam recommends customers improve to a supported model of Home windows, equivalent to Home windows 10 or 11.
Nonetheless, Home windows 10 formally reaches finish of help on October 14, 2025, making Home windows 11 a extra enticing goal if you don’t want to hold upgrading the working system.
Whereas the Steam consumer nonetheless works on Home windows 7 and eight.1, Steam says they can not “assure continued performance” after January 1.
“This transformation is required as core options in Steam depend on an embedded model of Google Chrome, which now not features on older variations of Home windows,” continues the help doc.
“As well as, future variations of Steam would require Home windows function and safety updates solely current in Home windows 10 and above.”
This transformation shouldn’t impression too many customers, because the December 2023’s Steam {Hardware} Survey signifies that solely 0.89% use one in all these unsupported Home windows variations.
Aiming to spice up safety
Steam additionally warns that utilizing older variations of Steam might trigger methods to be weak to new safety flaws and the rise of information-stealing malware that makes an attempt to steal your saved credentials.
Steam builders have been more and more focused by risk actors who steal credentials utilizing malware to conduct provide chain assaults by way of malicious sport updates.
As a result of this, Valve has been tightening safety on its platform by now requiring SMS-based safety checks from sport builders pushing an replace on the default launch department on Steam.
Nonetheless, SMS-based verification is inadequate to cease a decided risk actor, who can try to carry out SIM swapping assaults on a developer to realize entry to their cell quantity.
For stronger safety, Valve ought to require builders to configure multi-factor authentication utilizing safety keys or authentication earlier than they will publish updates.
