What are the minimum requirements for the Steam client?

[Latiodile]

Steam can be heavy depending on what features you have on and the storefront is basically a chrome browser. Use small mode if you're running out of memory:

small mode doesn't help, especially after the UI redesign

For Steam itself, Windows 7 32-bit as a minimum, any processor, prolly 1Gig of RAM.

until january 1st, if you install it now and manage to turn off client updates though it'll last until every one of it's features break due to server and security incompatabilities

 

[Engezerstorung]

bruh there really must be an issue with your steam installation somewhere, i didnt do anything special and thats how it goes for me

 

[Xdqwerty]

For Steam itself, Windows 7 32-bit as a minimum, any processor, prolly 1Gig of RAM.

I heard its not gonna be compatible with 8.1 anymore

 

[Marc_LFD]

A modern Windows OS and you'll be able to load it up, but the games, that's based on the hardware the computer has.

I bought a bunch of old games via Steam and GOG and I've yet to actually play them or finish them because I just end up playing the PSP emulator instead or some other emulator.

 

[Jayro]

I heard its not gonna be compatible with 8.1 anymore

I'm shocked it still is, as soon as an OS hits EOL it should stopp being updated for the dead platform.

 

[KleinesSinchen]

I'm shocked it still is, as soon as an OS hits EOL it should stopp being updated for the dead platform.

Why? If there are no technical reasons preventing an old system to be supported (additional work, multiple branches…) it makes no sense to impose a artificial boundary.

Lately I wanted to use the official Samsung software for their SSDs on a Windows 8.1 computer – but it wasn't supported anymore and I had to start searching for an old version not on their website anymore. That's rubbish!
PCs with outdated OS impose zero risks in offline mode (which they can be even for Steam after download for not DRM-infected games).

In addition to that official general EOL is not the final boundary for Microsoft software. They support the core functionality much longer (embedded systems, POS, paid support "ESU"). Seems Windows 7 support is reaching an end in 2024.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-embedded-posready-7

 

[Jayro]

Why? If there are no technical reasons preventing an old system to be supported (additional work, multiple branches…) it makes no sense to impose a artificial boundary.

Lately I wanted to use the official Samsung software for their SSDs on a Windows 8.1 computer – but it wasn't supported anymore and I had to start searching for an old version not on their website anymore. That's rubbish!
PCs with outdated OS impose zero risks in offline mode (which they can be even for Steam after download for not DRM-infected games).

In addition to that official general EOL is not the final boundary for Microsoft software. They support the core functionality much longer (embedded systems, POS, paid support "ESU"). Seems Windows 7 support is reaching an end in 2024.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-embedded-posready-7

A dead platform is a dead platform is a dead platform. Once Microsoft gives the word, that OS is dead to me because of security.

And offline machines are still at risk for local attacks from things like USB payloads that rely on older OS exploits. But surely you know this, you're smart.

 

[KleinesSinchen]

A dead platform is a dead platform is a dead platform.

Nice. I've never cared for what is considered "dead" by whoever is the authority.

And offline machines are still at risk for local attacks from things like USB payloads that rely on older OS exploits.

How many of these attacks have you encountered yourself? How many managed to penetrate security of your main system in order to infect USB sticks you are about to connect elsewhere? Wait… if that happened, the still supported, secure "not dead" system got infected. Of course the air gap can be bridged to infect and damage isolated systems (Stuxnet). The question is how likely it is that this is going to happen by playing a few games offline.

Furthermore: Why should I care for malware attack on an offline PC? What will it do?
Grab banking credentials? Mine Bitcoin? Try to dox me? Run a keylogger to sniff passwords? Delete data or demand ransom for a mostly empty computer with the backup image lying next to the system?
I even started malware on purpose just to see what it does.

This leaves targeted hardware destruction as threat (overwrite BIOS for example). I'll accept that risk for worthless old systems.

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Following that "it's dead" logic I would be forced to scrap all of my old computers because they won't be able to run any current (supported) software. There is nothing wrong with running old systems in isolated environment. Sadly Steam is *THE* PC game platform for quite some time now. Numerous games and PCs considered old (and "dead") themselves by the majority have already been sold in the new-and-better-digital-only world. Most of these games are tied to the Steam background services (or whatever this should be called) and there is no reason to not continue playing them on outdated systems that can handle them.

I'm really shocked by the amount of RAM the Steam service needs for nothing – just assuming people obey to the never ending cycle of waste and simply buy the latest and greatest every two years never noticing the bloated design. As long as there is no technical reason a software should still run on outdated platforms. A game launcher would theoretically work on 30+ year old hardware.

 

[tech3475]

The apparent reason why Steam is dropping support is because of Chromium:
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/202...ording to,operating systems earlier this year

 

[mamaunmalik22]

Think about upgrade your Windows.