Steam is about to turn a major page, and this time, it is the Windows 10 players who may pay the price. While Microsoft is about to cut the support of its famous operating system, Valve will have to follow the movement. Result: millions of players may find themselves excluded from their favorite platform if they do not update their configuration.
For several months, signs have been accumulating. Microsoft confirms the end of Windows 10 support for 2025. In the process, the Steam community is worried: a large part of PC players still use this almost 10 year old system. On Reddit, the testimonies flock, and the tone rises.
Steam under Windows 10, it’s soon over
According to the latest community data relayed on the networks, near one STEAM user in two still runs under Windows 10. Far from being a simple detail, this statistic shows the extent of the upcoming shock.
The end of the support by valve will mean a very simple thing: Steam could no longer get started on Windows 10, or present serious instability. Worse, some recent, or future games could simply be incompatible.
If for some, an upgrade to Windows 11 seems a formality, others denounce a forced strategy. “What is the biggest reproach that people make at Windows 11?” It takes between 5 and 10 minutes for Windows 11 to be almost identical to Windows 10. Sometimes I confuse Windows 10 with Windows 11, because my configuration looks very much like that of Windows 10. “
But this point of view is not shared by all. Many users face a more serious obstacle: their machine is not compatible with Windows 11. “Apparently, I do not meet the conditions required to upgrade and that is why I did not do it. »»
Steam soon incompatible with Windows 10, should we go to Windows 11 or migrate to Linux?
This situation revives an old debate in the PC community: should we stay at Microsoft at all costs, or take advantage of this crisis to migrate to Linux? The opinions are decided, sometimes bitter, but illustrate a growing fed up. “I prefer to migrate to Linux and stop playing half of my games rather than using Windows 11.” “Go to Linux and never go back once 10 is dead. »»
If some distributions like Steamos or Ubuntu Gaming gain popularity, compatibility remains a brake. Not all games work under Linux, especially the most recent or those protected by demanding DRMs.
In the short term, the players concerned have only two solutions: investing in a new compatible machine, or artificially prolong the lifespan of their current bone via bypass, at their risks and perils.
One thing is certain: Valve is about to turn a page, and part of the PC community does not intend to follow it with your eyes closed.
