Steam service discontinuation for a minuscule segment of Windows 10 users in 2026, as announced by Valve Corporation
In a significant move for the gaming community, Valve, the developer of Steam, the popular digital distribution platform for video games, has announced that all future versions of Steam will be 64-bit only. This shift towards 64-bit support is influenced by the dwindling number of users running 32-bit systems.
Currently, Steam only supports the 32-bit version of Windows 10. However, as of January 1, 2026, Steam will no longer support systems running 32-bit versions of Windows. The Steam client will likely continue to work on 32-bit Windows for the foreseeable future, but it will no longer receive updates of any kind.
The scarcity of 32-bit users might be a factor in Microsoft's decision to offer windows 11 only in a 64-bit version. In line with this, windows 11 is now available exclusively in a 64-bit version, and Microsoft no longer offers windows 11 in a 32-bit version.
The affected users after January 1, 2026, will be the very small group (only about 0.01 percent) still running the Steam client on Windows 10 32-bit systems. Their Steam installations will continue to work, but they will receive no updates or official support from Valve.
This change might pose a problem for retro gamers using older PCs, as they may find it difficult to run newer games on their systems due to the lack of 32-bit support. However, Valve's Steam support FAQ states that existing Steam Client installations will continue to function for the near term on Windows 10 32-bit.
The lack of 32-bit support by Microsoft for windows 11 might influence Valve's decision, as core features in Steam rely on system drivers and libraries that are no longer supported in 32-bit versions of Windows. The shift towards 64-bit by both Microsoft and Valve could signal a trend towards more efficient and powerful software in the future.
Despite this, Valve has not announced an end of support date for Steam on Windows 10 64-bit. For now, Steam users on 64-bit systems can continue to enjoy their favourite games without worry.
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