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Future Nvidia GPU drivers will only support Windows 10, ditching 7 and 8

Time to make the switch if you haven't already

If you’re in the small group of gamers still running Windows 7, 8, or 8.1, Nvidia’s latest announcement might finally convince you to make the switch to Microsoft’s latest operating system. According to a help page listed on Nvidia’s site, new Game Ready drivers will only be available for Windows 10 from October, although critical security driver updates will continue for the older versions of Windows until September 2024.

It says the reason for dropping support is that “the vast majority” of Nvidia GPU owners are now on Windows 10, and that the move will “ensure GeForce owners experience the best possible security, support, and functionality”.

While the performance of your current games won’t see a hit from this news, Game Ready drivers bring performance optimisations to the latest PC games to help boost fps, so this may see Windows 7 and 8 become even less relevant when it comes to PC gaming. The lack of DirectX 12 support already makes these operating systems a poor choice for gaming.

The majority of gamers should be unaffected by this decision, however. According to the latest Steam hardware survey, Windows 7 and 8 users account for just 3.18% of current users, paling in comparison to Windows 10’s 92.96% share.

Considering the next-generation Windows 11 Sun Valley is just around the corner, other companies are sure to follow Nvidia’s latest move. It might be worth upgrading sooner rather than later if you haven’t already.