Steam to Drop Support for 32-Bit Windows 10 Systems

• Steam will no longer receive updates or support on 32-bit Windows 10 from on January 1, 2026.
• Only 0.01% of users still run this version, according to Steam’s Hardware & Software Survey.
• Shift reflects broader industry move towards 64-bit exclusivity.

Valve will discontinue support for 32-bit versions of Windows 10 on its Steam gaming platform beginning Jan. 1, 2026, the company announced, marking another step in the industry's migration away from older computing architectures.

The Seattle-based gaming company said existing Steam installations will continue functioning on 32-bit systems after the cutoff date, though performance and reliability will degrade over time. Users running these systems will no longer receive technical support, security updates or new features.

The change affects only Windows 10's 32-bit variant. Steam will maintain full support for 64-bit versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11, with no modifications to update schedules or feature availability.

Valve attributed the decision to 32-bit technology's diminishing relevance and minimal adoption among its user base. According to the company's hardware survey data, Windows 10 32-bit accounts for just 0.01% of Steam systems—the only 32-bit operating system the platform currently supports.

"Key components such as system drivers, runtime libraries, and anti-cheat frameworks are increasingly developed only for 64-bit systems, making continued support expensive and potentially insecure," Valve said in a blog post. The company noted that Steam features dependent on these technologies may eventually cease functioning entirely on 32-bit systems.

The move aligns with Microsoft Corp.'s own timeline. The Redmond, Wash., software giant released Windows 11 exclusively as a 64-bit operating system and plans to end mainstream support for all Windows 10 editions (both 32-bit and 64-bit) on Oct. 14, 2025.

While most Steam users operate 64-bit systems and will experience no disruption, the transition may prove more challenging in markets where hardware upgrades occur less frequently. In regions including parts of India and Southeast Asia, older budget systems, netbooks and repurposed computers still rely on 32-bit Windows installations.

For these users, the January 2026 deadline represents a firm cutoff point beyond which Steam will become increasingly unreliable without system upgrades.

Valve recommends affected users verify their operating system architecture through system settings and consider upgrading to 64-bit versions of Windows 10 or Windows 11. Most processors manufactured within the past decade support 64-bit operating systems, the company noted. Users should back up game saves, modifications and other critical files before upgrading.

The discontinuation completes Steam's transition to 64-bit architecture, ending an era of 32-bit support for PC gaming platforms.