TL;DR: NVIDIA will end Game Ready and Studio driver support for Windows 10 in November 2026, issuing a final compatible driver in October 2026 and only quarterly security updates until October 2029; about 23% of Steam users still run Windows 10, so users must upgrade to Windows 11 to get ongoing driver optimizations.
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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.
- Read more: NVIDIA Game Ready Driver support for the GeForce GTX 10 Series is ending soon
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.
If I keep Windows 10 past November 2026, how will losing Game Ready support affect game performance and compatibility?
Does NVIDIA’s end of support align with Microsoft’s Windows 10 end-of-support date, and how long did NVIDIA extend support beyond Microsoft’s cutoff?
What options should Steam users still on Windows 10 consider to retain access to NVIDIA performance and game optimizations?
How many Steam users are still on Windows 10 according to Valve’s Steam Hardware Survey cited in the article?
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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.
