Steam Finally Ends Support for Old Windows and macOS Versions

After more than a year of warnings, Valve is finally ripping off the band-aid. The latest Steam client update is incompatible with Windows 7, Windows 8 and 8.1, macOS 10.14, and macOS 10.15.

This officially marks the end of Steam support on outdated operating systems. Steam won’t connect to the internet unless you install the latest desktop client update, so those on unsupported operating systems are effectively locked out of Steam’s online functionality. Offline mode still works, but good luck downloading new games.

Valve announced that it would drop support for old Windows and macOS installations in March 2023. The official cutoff date was January 1st, 2024, though Valve continued providing updates for several months thereafter. To be clear, I doubt that this amnesty period was intentional. It probably just took a few months for Valve to switch to a more recent version of the Chromium Embedded Framework.

The Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF) dropped support for old operating systems in early 2023. App developers that work with CEF need to go with the flow whether they want to or not. However, Valve cites software security as its reason for abandoning old Windows and macOS releases. Outdated operating systems no longer receive security patches from Microsoft or Apple, so they are extremely vulnerable to malware and exploits and should not be connected to the internet.

Gamers who want to continue using the old computer should upgrade to a more recent version of Windows or macOS. Most Windows 7 and 8 machines can upgrade to Windows 10 without any fuss. However, Microsoft ended free upgrades to Windows 10 in 2023, so you’ll need to buy a license or use Windows 10 without activation. Those running macOS 10.13 or 10.14 can forcibly upgrade to a newer release with Open Core Legacy Patcher, though I should point out that 32-bit games do not work on macOS 10.15 or subsequent releases.

If you’re committed to your outdated Windows or macOS installation and need to use the Steam client for gaming, I suggest that you dual-boot a Linux distro. Valve’s Proton compatibility layer, developed for the Steam Deck, has made Linux a much more viable option for PC gaming. Fire up any modern Linux distro, launch the Steam client, take the steps to get Proton working, and you’re good to go. Ubuntu or Linux Mint are good options if you’re new to this stuff. Just know that Proton requires some driver downloads when using an NVIDIA GPU. An AMD card is ideal in this situation.

I should also point out that GoG provides offline installers for all of the games on its storefront. If you insist on using your outdated operating system but want to install new games, GoG is your best option. Just keep your old computer offline, please, and transfer the installers over a USB drive.

Source: Valve via The Register