Counter-Strike 2 support for older hardware and Mac is being discontinued so Valve can focus on 64-bit Windows and Linux

Valve has announced that it will be discontinuing Counter-Strike 2 support on older hardware and Mac so it can focus on 64-bit Windows and Linux.

In a new Steam post shared today (October 12), the company confirmed that it will be shutting down support for the game for DirectX 9 and 32-bit operating systems, as well as macOS, explaining that it will be focusing its attention on developing the game and the future of the series on modern operating systems (via VGC).

“Counter-Strike 2 represents the largest technical leap in CS history, and our goal is to continue to develop Counter-Strike for years to come,” Valve said.

“As technology advances, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue support for older hardware, including DirectX 9 and 32-bit operating systems. Similarly, we will no longer support macOS. Combined, these represented less than one percent of active CS:GO players.

“Moving forward, Counter-Strike 2 will exclusively support 64-bit Windows and Linux.”

Valve explained that if those operating on older systems are unable to launch Counter-Strike 2, they’ll be able to access a legacy version of CS: GO, however, full support will end on January 1, 2024.

Additionally, those who paid for the game’s Prime Status upgrade will also be eligible for a full refund until December 1, 2023, and should do so as soon as possible. 

Counter-Strike 2 officially launched on September 27 after weeks of hints and teases from Valve and is a free upgrade of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, one of the most popular games on Steam and one of the best FPS games of all time. Alongside an entire host of improvements and new features to the game, Counter-Strike 2 is also playable on Steam Deck, allowing players to experience the shooter for the first time with analog controls. 

For more, check out our picks for the best Steam games of 2023, as well as the best PC games available right now.