https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/4784-4F2B-1321-800A#:~:text=Steam%20Support%20%3A%3A%20Windows%207%20and%20Windows%208%20Support&text=As%20of%20January%201%202024,on%20those%20versions%20of%20Windows.
"As of January 1 2024, Steam will officially stop supporting the Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 operating systems. After that date, the Steam Client will no longer run on those versions of Windows."
More importantly - "In order to continue running Steam and any games or other products purchased through Steam, users will need to update to a more recent version of Windows."
Since when does Steam provide game installers “bare” that don’t need Steam whatsoever to do an installation? I thought they infected all games they sell with Steam, in essence being a DRM platform. I just checked on this issue, read some article somewhere, and they indicated this is true for the vast majority of titles sold on Steam.
GOG, on the other hand, provides both a GOG Galaxy and a standalone .exe installer for the games they sell. You can back up that standalone .exe installer and use it anywhere. If you want to sneakerware it over to an old machine, you can. Once GOG has handed you that .exe installer, they’re not involved anymore. They are not a DRM platform. In fact that’s one of their main selling points that they pitch: no DRM.
I’ve bought a few games from GOG. I have never bought anything from Steam.