Even though Windows 10 will stop being supported after October 14, 2025, many Steam users still use it. A survey from January 2025 showed that more than 40% of Steam users are on Windows 10, while Windows 11 is the most popular version at 53%.
This means that nearly half of Steam’s users are still using Windows 10. Once October 2025 arrives, Windows 10 won’t get security updates or support from Microsoft anymore, which puts these users at risk for security issues.
Many Steam users are still using Windows 10 for a few reasons. One major issue is that Windows 11 has certain hardware requirements that older computers can’t meet. For example, if someone’s computer had a processor made before 2018, it wouldn’t be able to run Windows 11. This means those users might have to buy new hardware just to upgrade. As a result, a lot of people are choosing to stick with Windows 10, especially since they don’t see a strong reason to move to Windows 11.
I’ve tried to upgrade a laptop that was released around 2018 and not only did it take hours, but it crashed the minute it loaded up. It had a black screen, it had trouble loading the taskbar, and it was overall a bad experience. I ended up using a system restore point to put things back to normal. I also tried with a laptop from 2013, which can still play higher-end games, but it wouldn’t even let me start any kind of updates.
You can always bypass with the right tools, but those checks normally aren’t there to mess with people. They’re there because older PCs just can’t handle it, and it’s safer for your device if it doesn’t upgrade. There’s always the chance that some people just don’t want to wait through the installation. That takes time, it’s a pain to wait through, and some browsers require users to sign into everything again.
While it’s still possible to use Windows 10 after service ends, the lack of security patches makes it more susceptible to malware and viruses. As a result, users may need to focus on upgrading their systems or getting new hardware to keep their data safe because Microsoft will not lower the hardware standards.
Valve is looking to make SteamOS more available, but it’s not clear when (or if) it will be widely released for desktop users. The new Lenovo Legion Go S, which runs on SteamOS, shows what Valve is aiming for, but it doesn’t help desktop users still using Windows 10.
Microsoft has firmly stated that Windows 11 needs specific hardware, including a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 chip, for better security. They will not lower these requirements, even though some people want it to work on older devices.
This means many Steam users need to choose whether to upgrade their current systems, buy new hardware that works with Windows 11, or risk security issues. With malware being released as games on Steam, it is a precarious position to be in.
Source: Steam
