Steam’s December Update Switches the Client to 64-Bit on Windows, Alongside Several Fixes

Valve has officially released a new Steam client December update that quietly changes how the app runs on Windows. Starting on December 19, Steam now operates as a 64-bit client on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

The change comes alongside a deadline for older systems. As previously announced, Valve says Steam will continue to receive updates on 32-bit versions of Windows until January 1, 2026. After that, support will stop. While you can stay on the 32-bit Windows 10 and install/purchase games, you should expect problems down the line. Putting it simply, you’ll have no other option than to switch to a 64-bit OS.

Speaking of fixes and improvements, the latest Steam client update comes with fixes for Game Recording issues that caused failures when copying clips to the clipboard or exporting H265 videos on PCs running NVIDIA RTX 50-series graphics cards.

Following the update, you can also report suspicious or abusive group messages directly from the conversation via Steam’s chat system. You’ll also find quick options to block or unfriend the sender. Moving on, Big Picture Mode has also received a fix for intermittent in-game purchase failures for some games.

Here’s the full changelog for the December 19th Steam Client Update (unchanged):

A new Steam client has been released and will be automatically downloaded.

General

• The Steam client is now 64-bit on Windows 11 and Windows 10 64-bit.
  • Systems running 32-bit versions of Windows will continue receiving updates to the 32-bit Steam client until January 1, 2026.
• Fixed non-Steam browser windows erroneously being created sometimes when steamwebhelper is restarted.

Game Recording

• Fixed errors copying to the clipboard or exporting H265 videos on systems with an NVIDIA 50xx series GPU.

Friends & Chat

• Suspicious or harassing group chat messages can now be reported directly in the chat window by right-clicking the message. You can optionally block and/or unfriend the other user while submitting the report.

Big Picture Mode

• Fixed intermittent in-game purchase failures for some games.

Remote Play

• Fixed being unable to move the mouse to another monitor when using touch controls on the Steam Link app.

Steam Input

• Added support for Nintendo Switch 2 controllers connected over USB on Windows
• Added support for GameCube adapters in Wii-U mode with rumble on Windows
• Added an “Invert Input” toggle in “Regular Press” activator settings. When enabled, this causes button presses to generate releases, and vice versa.
• Promoted the newer gyro modes from beta to the default gyro modes loaded. Older configuration that are using the older modes will still see the option and you can also enable Steam Input dev mode under Settings->Developer to keep them visible all the time.
• Adjusted Dualsense “Create” and “Options” glyphs for better recall.
• In all Gyro Modes, when selecting multiple gyro activation buttons, you can also choose whether “Any” or “All” buttons are required to Enable/Suppress/Toggle the gyro.
• Gyro Haptic On/Off effect is now separated from Gyro Haptic Rotation Effect.
• Gyro to Joystick Deflection Mode: Added “Use Relative Roll” & “Use Relative Pitch” toggles. When enabled, this makes the output Joystick deflection relative to the controller’s pose since the Gyro’s activation. i.e., turning on the gyro will always center the stick output. When disabled, the deflection angle is absolute vs. the controller’s gravity sensor. Previously, this was only possible for “Pitch” (old name: “World Auto Tilt”), but it’s now available for Roll as well.
• Gyro to Joystick Deflection: “Relative Roll” and “Relative Pitch” toggles are only available if a Gyro Activation Button is selected, because the angles are relative to the pose of the controller each time the Gyro is activated.
• Fixed a case where the desktop version of the configurator could unexpectedly close when trying to preview a configuration for another game on the Search tab
• Fixed Dualsense Edge, Xbox Elite, Nintendo JoyCons in paired mode not finding the correct config to edit.
• Fixed Gyro to Joystick Deflection: Lock Extents not working as intended.
• Fixed Gyro to Joystick Deflection: Some combinations of “Relative Roll” and “Relative Pitch” toggles resulted in zero joystick output.

Controller support also expands with this release. Steam Input now recognizes Nintendo Switch 2 controllers connected over USB on Windows and adds rumble support for GameCube adapters running in Wii U mode. Valve also refined gyro behavior, input options, and controller configurations, resolving several long-standing issues across popular gamepads.