Valve will end Steam support for 32-bit Windows next year, affecting a tiny share of users. Starting January 1, 2026, the Steam client will run only on 64-bit editions of Windows 10 and Windows 11, with 32-bit installations no longer receiving updates or official technical help.
An announcement on the Steam help site links to Valve’s FAQ and explains the change. Information is available at Steam help page, which repeats the cutoff and supported platforms. Steam’s hardware survey shows just 0.01% of reported systems run 32-bit Windows. That tiny share is part of the rationale for ending support.
Valve warns that existing Steam client installations on Windows 10 32-bit will keep functioning for the near term but will not receive updates, including security fixes. Steam Support will be unable to provide technical assistance for problems tied to those old operating system versions and cannot guarantee continued functionality.
Valve cites dependencies on system drivers and libraries that are not available on 32-bit systems. Core Steam features rely on components that require 64-bit architectures, making maintenance impractical for older builds. Valve adds that 32-bit games should continue to run on compatible setups, so older titles are not being blocked by this change.
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