Developers are progressively phasing out support for legacy versions of the Steam client.
Valve recently rolled out a fresh update for Steam, transitioning users on Windows 11 and 64-bit versions of Windows 10 to a native 64-bit client architecture.
Official support for the 32-bit version of Steam is slated to conclude on January 1, 2026. Until that deadline, the client will continue to receive standard updates and maintenance.
Key enhancements and refinements in this release include:
- Integrated USB support for Nintendo Switch 2 controllers on Windows systems.
- Added support for GameCube adapters in Wii-U mode, including vibration functionality on Windows.
- Resolved a bug where restarting the steamwebhelper process would trigger the unintended opening of external browser windows.
- (Big Picture Mode): Fixed an issue causing intermittent failures for in-game purchases in specific titles.
- Updated the “Create” and “Options” button icons for DualSense controllers to improve visual clarity and recognition.
- Enhanced gyro settings: when using multiple activation buttons, users can now specify whether the gyro triggers upon pressing “any” or “all” of the selected inputs.
The comprehensive patch notes for the December Steam client update can be found at this link.
Despite the shift, some gamers remain loyal to Windows 7. Catering to this niche, a tech enthusiast has successfully backported a beta version of the Steam client to function on the aging operating system.
Source: iXBT.games