What is Steam?
Steam combines a store, a game library and a social network in one desktop application. Players buy games on the storefront, and the Steam client downloads them, keeps them updated, syncs save files to the cloud and launches them with an in-game overlay for chat, screenshots and web browsing. Community features include user reviews, discussion forums, groups, broadcasting and the Steam Workshop, where players share mods and custom content.
For developers, Steam is both a sales channel and a toolkit. Steamworks provides matchmaking, achievements, cloud saves, Valve Anti-Cheat and optional copy protection, and the Steam Community Market lets players trade in-game items for Steam Wallet funds. Since 2017 any developer can publish through Steam Direct by paying a recoupable fee per game, which has pushed the catalog into the tens of thousands of titles, while wishlists, curators, tags and recommendations help players sort through it.
Valve has also used Steam to take PC gaming beyond Windows. Proton, a compatibility layer built on Wine, lets most Windows games run on Linux, which made possible the SteamOS-based Steam Deck in 2022, the Steam Machine released in June 2026 and the Steam Frame VR headset. Steam passed 42 million concurrent users for the first time in January 2026. The platform also draws scrutiny: in July 2025 Valve removed about 400 adult games after pressure from payment processors, and its revenue share is the subject of antitrust claims in several countries. Its main rival storefront is the Epic Games Store.
Key features of Steam
- 01
Store and library
The storefront sells games, software, soundtracks and Valve hardware, and the library organizes purchased titles into collections with automatic downloads and updates.
- 02
Cloud saves and Remote Play
Steam Cloud syncs save files between computers and Valve devices, and Remote Play streams games from a PC to other screens or lets friends join local multiplayer games online.
- 03
Steam Workshop
Workshop pages let players browse, subscribe to and automatically install mods, maps and cosmetic items created by the community for supported games.
- 04
Community Market
Players buy and sell in-game items such as weapon skins and trading cards for Steam Wallet funds, with Valve and the game’s publisher each taking a fee on sales.
- 05
Steamworks for developers
Developer tools provide achievements, matchmaking, leaderboards, cloud storage, anti-cheat and microtransaction support, letting studios build on Steam’s infrastructure.
- 06
Proton and SteamOS
The open-source Proton compatibility layer runs Windows games on Linux, powering SteamOS on the Steam Deck, Steam Machine and Steam Frame without requiring developers to port their games.
- 07
Steam Families
Introduced in 2024, Steam Families lets up to six household members share games from their libraries, with parental controls for children’s accounts.
- 08
Reviews and discovery
User reviews, curators, tags, wishlists and personalized recommendations help players find games among the tens of thousands of titles on the store.
Who uses Steam?
- PC gamers buy, download and launch most of their game library from a single client with automatic updates and cloud saves.
- Independent developers publish games through Steam Direct and use wishlists, demos and events such as Steam Next Fest to build an audience.
- Modding communities share maps, mods and custom items through the Steam Workshop for games such as Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2.
- Steam Deck and Steam Machine owners play their existing Steam libraries on Valve hardware running SteamOS.
- Groups of friends use Steam chat, voice calls and Remote Play Together to organize and play multiplayer games.
History of Steam
Valve launched Steam on September 12, 2003, initially to deliver automatic updates for its own games. Half-Life 2 required Steam when it launched in 2004, and Valve began selling third-party games in late 2005. The Steamworks development kit followed in 2008, the client came to macOS in 2010 and Linux in 2013, and by 2013 Steam held an estimated 75 percent of the market for downloaded PC games.
Valve opened the store to far more developers with Steam Greenlight in 2012 and Steam Direct in 2017, and in 2018 it introduced tiered revenue sharing and released Proton. The Steam Deck extended Steam into dedicated hardware in 2022, Steam Families revamped game sharing between household members in 2024, and in 2026 Valve released a new Steam Machine for living rooms. Steam’s concurrent user record reached 41.6 million in October 2025, driven largely by the release of Battlefield 6, and passed 42 million in early 2026.
- 2003
Valve launches Steam on September 12 to deliver updates for its own games.
- 2005
Steam begins selling games from third-party publishers.
- 2008
Valve releases Steamworks, opening Steam’s features to other developers.
- 2013
The Steam client arrives on Linux, following a macOS version in 2010.
- 2017
Steam Direct replaces Greenlight as the way developers publish games.
- 2018
Valve introduces tiered revenue sharing and releases the Proton compatibility layer.
- 2022
The Steam Deck handheld ships with SteamOS and Proton.
- 2025
Steam reaches a record 41.6 million concurrent users in October.
Steam pricing
Pricing modelFree
The Steam client and account are free; players pay for the games and items they buy, and Valve takes a revenue share from developers that shrinks for top sellers.
Prices change often. Check the official Steam website for current plans.
Steam alternatives
Profiled on SoftwareLore:
Also considerGOG.com, Microsoft Store, EA app and Ubisoft Connect
Steam: frequently asked questions
Who owns Steam?
Steam is owned and operated by Valve Corporation, the privately held game developer based in Bellevue, Washington, that also makes Half-Life, Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2. Valve co-founder and president Gabe Newell is the company’s majority owner.
What is Steam used for?
Steam is used to buy, download, update and launch PC games. Players also use it to chat with friends, join multiplayer matches, share mods through the Workshop, trade in-game items, stream games with Remote Play and play their libraries on Valve hardware such as the Steam Deck.
Is Steam free?
Yes. Creating a Steam account and installing the Steam client are free, and the store includes many free-to-play games, such as Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2. Players pay only for the games, downloadable content and in-game items they choose to buy.
When was Steam released?
Valve released Steam on September 12, 2003. It began as a tool for updating Valve’s own games, started selling games from other publishers in late 2005 and later expanded to macOS in 2010, mobile devices in 2012 and Linux in 2013.
How much does Valve take from Steam sales?
Valve’s standard revenue share on Steam is 30 percent of a game’s sales and in-game purchases. Since October 2018 the share falls to 25 percent on revenue above $10 million and 20 percent above $50 million. The commission has been challenged in antitrust cases in the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
What is SteamOS?
SteamOS is Valve’s Linux-based operating system built around the Steam client. It uses the Proton compatibility layer to run Windows games and powers the Steam Deck, the Steam Machine released in 2026 and the Steam Frame VR headset, and it is also available for some handheld PCs from other manufacturers.
Sources
- Steam (service), Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- Steam Machine, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
- About Valve valvesoftware.com
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