Valve has begun the final phase of its plan to end Steam support for 32-bit versions of Windows, with a December Steam client update that changes how the platform runs on modern systems. As of this week, the Steam client on Windows 10 64-bit and Windows 11 is now itself a 64-bit application, while users on 32-bit Windows are left on a shrinking compatibility branch that will stop receiving updates on January 1, 2026.
This follows an announcement by Valve in September stating that Steam would no longer support 32-bit versions of Windows as of 2026. The client update marks the first time Steam has been fully 64-bit on Windows rather than a 32-bit application running atop a 64-bit operating system.
Steam will continue to work for users still running 32-bit Windows instillations, but Valve has made it clear that the platform will be frozen in place after the cut-off. That means no client updates, no security fixes, and no guarantee that future game updates or backend changes will remain compatible. Valve has also stated that customer support for those systems will end simultaneously. Just under 95% of Steam users are on a Windows-based system, compared to 3.2% on Linux and 2% on Mac OSX.
Given that a 32-bit OS handles less data and is limited to around 4GB of RAM, the number of affected users is tiny. Steam’s most recent Hardware Survey shows Windows 11 64-bit accounting for roughly 66% of Windows systems, with Windows 10 64-bit in second place at just under 30%. Older Windows releases now register at fractions of a percent, and Valve has previously said that 32-bit Windows installations represent around 0.01% of active Steam systems.
It is also important to highlight a distinction that Valve has repeatedly emphasized: That the end of support applies to 32-bit versions of Windows, not to 32-bit games. Titles built as 32-bit executables will continue to run on 64-bit Windows through Steam as they do today.
Today, many systems running 32-bit Windows are powered by 64-bit capable CPUs and can be moved to a 64-bit Windows install with a clean OS reinstall. Systems built around older, truly 32-bit processors, however, will not have that option and will effectively be at the end of the road for Steam. The update also aligns with broader changes across the Windows ecosystem, such as recent Steam client releases that have added reporting for Secure Boot, reinforcing the platform’s gradual move toward modern Windows requirements.
Luke James is a freelance writer and journalist. Although his background is in legal, he has a personal interest in all things tech, especially hardware and microelectronics, and anything regulatory.
