NVIDIA has confirmed that it will drop Windows 10 support for its Game Ready and Studio Drivers in November 2026, which may be a problem for millions of Steam users.
While most gamers have moved to Windows 11, millions still use Windows 10. Valve's latest Steam Hardware Survey shows 23% of Steam users are still using Windows 10, which is nearly 1 in 4 Steam users, or about 20 - 30 million Steam users. NVIDIA will release the final compatible driver in October 2026, after which users will receive only quarterly security updates through October 2029.
This announcement from NVIDIA coincides with Microsoft's original end-of-support date for Windows 10, set for October 14, 2025. NVIDIA has maintained support for one year beyond Microsoft's cutoff, giving users time to transition. But come November, users will need to upgrade to Windows 11 to receive the latest performance and game optimizations for newly released titles.
While the transition to Windows 11 has been gradual, this timeline signals a definitive shift toward the latest operating system. Gamers and creators still using Windows 10 will need to plan accordingly if they want to maintain full access to NVIDIA's latest driver features and game-specific optimizations because, as time goes on, the last driver is going to become older and older and eventually not work with a title, or at the very least provide performance where the game isn't playable.
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The window for Windows 10 users is closing, and the future is firmly rooted in Windows 11 and beyond. This move by NVIDIA isn't just one of the final nails in the coffin for the fading OS.
