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Best Mac games on Steam in 2024
Did you know that Steam is accessible on Mac? There are tons of great games you can choose from
Macs are wonderful for computing, communicating, and entertainment. For a while, the latter didn't include gaming, but these days, playing video games on Mac is easier than ever. There are so many ways to play different games on the latest Macs, with one popular method being through the Steam storefront. The platform has been around for over two decades and has become the primary place to buy and download games to play on your computer, whether you use Windows, Linux, or Mac. It’s easy to download Steam games on a Mac, and many are affordable and often on sale via promotions. So, which are the best games for Mac on Steam? Our team weighed in to provide their picks.
How to stream games to your TV with a Raspberry Pi and Steam Link
Using a Raspberry Pi is a great alternative if your TV doesn't support Steam Link natively.
Steam Link has been around for years, and it's a great way to enjoy all your favorite PC games away from your gaming rig, that too on far less powerful devices like smartphones. The first dedicated Steam Link hardware was released in 2015 — with remote play between devices more generally coming in 2019 — but it's only now that it's making its way to more TVs and even iOS and Android. But what if your TV doesn't support Steam Link? Well, there's an easy (and cost-effective) solution! Using a Raspberry Pi is a great way to get Steam Link running on your PC to stream games over your local network.
How to install Steam on Raspberry Pi
The Raspberry Pi boards may not be built for heavy gaming, but that doesn't mean you can't run Steam games on these tiny computers
From a small-sized NAS to an all-in-one media server, the Raspberry Pi is a versatile device that can be customized for pretty much any project imaginable. Heck, the newer boards pack enough firepower to emulate games developed for older consoles, and you even get to choose between Recalbox, Retro-Pie, and several other emulator-centric distros.
How to run Steam games on your Chromebook
Here are all the options for running Steam on your Chromebook for gaming.
Steam is one of the most popular gaming platforms on the Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. If you recently purchased a new Chromebook, you might feel a bit excluded from the gaming party, but it turns out there are actually several methods to run Steam on ChromeOS. In fact, Google and Steam partnered together to make it possible to run Steam on ChromeOS through the Beta channel. There are also some other ways to get Steam games on your Chromebook, which we'll cover in this guide.
How to set up Steam on a NAS
Loading games over a network can save you disk space, and is surprisingly functional
The size of game downloads has ballooned over the past few years, with many triple-AAA games coming in at well over 100GB. Local storage has fallen repeatedly in price, but keeping up with a large and growing games library, especially across various PCs or devices, can be increasingly expensive. Not to mention the hassle of keeping multiple sets of updates going, especially if you're on a slow connection. Steam is now capable of detecting other clients on your network with a game installed and downloading them internally, but this isn't perfect and requires two devices to be on simultaneously. Storing games on your NAS can be a cost-effective solution to keeping many games downloaded, is relatively easy to set up, and can help alleviate some of the pain of a slower internet connection.
The unfortunate death of the Steam Controller
Despite its pioneering features, the Steam Controller ended up becoming a massive failure
If you’re shopping for new controllers for your gaming PC, there are plenty of options to choose from. Besides the top-tier gamepads from Sony, Microsoft, and others, there are a wide variety of third-party controllers, driving wheels, and flight sticks that you can use for better immersion.
How to use Steam Link for remote play on your smartphone
With Steam Link, you can access your entire Steam library on your smartphone from anywhere in the world.
Nothing matches the convenience of hopping into a match of Brawlhalla or Rocket League while you’re waiting at the bus stop. Gaming on the go has increased in popularity over these past few years thanks to consoles like Valve's Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch. Long gone are the days when you had to play shoddy mobile games to kill time. And even if you don’t have a handheld console, you can simply stream your Steam library directly from your PC to your smartphone anywhere in the world, all thanks to Steam Link.
Steam officially drops support for Windows 7, 8, and 8.1
With under 1% of Steam users using Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 combined, Valve has decided it's time to move on.
In early 2023, gamers on older PCs received bad news when they learned that Valve was going to cut support for Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 in 2024. Valve didn't want to dawdle, giving gamers a strict January 1st deadline to upgrade their PCs. Now that the new year is here, people on older PCs will need to either upgrade or use Steam in an unsupported state.
Steam will stop supporting macOS Mojave in February
macOS Mohave and High Sierra users will need to update their Macs to a newer version of the OS to continue enjoying Steam games like before.
Apple no longer pushes updates to macOS Mohave, as it reached the end of support a couple of years ago. However, that didn't stop Steam from continuing to support macOS Mohave and earlier all these years, giving users access to a vast catalog of games. But like every piece of software, Steam on macOS Mohave has its days numbered, as the company has made it official that it'll stop supporting macOS Mohave (10.14) and macOS High Sierra (10.13) come February 15, 2024.
It's now easier to find Steam games that support PlayStation controllers
If you play your PC games with a PlayStation controller, the latest Steam update makes it way easier to find more of them.
Playing games on your PC with a PlayStation controller is getting a bit easier thanks to the latest Steam update. Valve's latest update for Steam adds an array of improvements to help you find games that work with controllers in general, but also specific controllers, such as PlayStation's DualShock and DualSense models.
The Steam Deck now supports VRR and HDR on external monitors
HDR support and external storage auto-mounting are also included
Valve recently made a splash with the announcement of the Steam Deck OLED, the latest handheld to join the Steam Deck family. In addition to featuring an OLED screen, the new model also boasts a longer battery life and a new Wi-Fi antenna for faster connectivity. Even if you don’t intend to upgrade to the latest Steam Deck, Valve is set on improving your gaming experience — SteamOS 3.5.5 is now live in the stable channel, and it comes with a slew of notable updates.
5 why reasons the Steam Deck is still worth it
Here's how the Steam Deck continues to dominate the competition nearly two years after its release.
PC gaming handhelds are on the rise, and while Valve has had great success with the Steam Deck, there are already a lot of great Steam Deck alternatives out there. Some of these competitors have better performance, while others offer more in the way of features and control. Despite that, the Steam Deck is the best option out of them all.
SteamVR 2.0 is now out with an upgraded keyboard and better Steam integrations
Valve has released version 2.0 of SteamVR, introducing better feature parity with its other gaming platforms and an updated keyboard.
Although Steam has become pretty much synonymous with PC gaming over the past few years, another platform Valve also offers is SteamVR. The virtual reality (VR) ecosystem is now almost a decade old and fairly mature in terms of features and support, even though the base technology is arguably yet to hit mainstream. Now, Valve has released SteamVR 2.0 with several important updates.
Apple's latest Mac computers are excellent devices for students. That's because they support an extensive library of productivity apps, in addition to a wide variety of games. As such, users get to rely on these machines for studies, work, and play. If you happen to be interested in running Steam games on macOS Sonoma or an earlier version, then you can download and install any compatible title by following the steps below.
How to run Steam on Linux
Steam has great support for Linux, and here's how to get it on the most popular Linux distros.
For many years, Valve has been focused on making Linux a great operating system for Steam, and suffice to say, it's managed to succeed. It's the default operating system for the Steam Deck, and it can easily run non-native games with the Proton compatibility layer. But you can also get Steam on your Linux PC. However, while Steam can easily be installed on some Linux distros, the process is more obscure on others.
5 best ChromeOS features of all time
ChromeOS used to be just a simple web browser, but over the years it's evolved and there have many features that shaped the OS into what it is today.
ChromeOS sure isn't what it used to be. The Google operating system was born into a world where Windows and macOS reigned supreme, back in 2011, and it's come a long way. It's become so complete over the past few years that the best Chromebooks and best Chromeboxes can compete with even the best Windows 11 laptops and other premium hardware. It's been nearly 12 years since the first ChromeOS hardware launched, and many features have been introduced to shape ChromeOS to be a solid alternative to Windows and macOS.
Steam gets massive overhaul that brings updated visuals and exciting new features
A worthy update that brings so much to a trusted and widely used platform.
After many years, Steam is finally getting a major overhaul, bringing a slick new look along with plenty of new features. Perhaps most important is that the underlying framework has been changed, which will make it easier to deliver updates going forward for the Steam Desktop Client, Big Picture mode, and Steam Deck. Mac and Linux users should feel a difference thanks to the new update adding support for hardware acceleration.
Digital ownership isn't real ownership, and there's not much we can do about it
If you digitally purchase any media, you really just bought a license to consume it, and that's a problem.
The digital world is one of convenience, which is its largest appeal. We have the ability to have any media we want at our fingertips in seconds — music, movies, games, TV shows — all of it digitalized and mere seconds away if you have a fast enough internet connection. There's a big problem with digital ownership, though: it's not true ownership. Even worse, there isn't a lot you can do about it.
The final countdown begins as Steam ends support for Windows 7 and 8.1 in 2024
If you're a gamer running a PC with Windows 7 or 8.1, your time is now limited, as Steam has announced its pulling support next year.
Steam has announced that it will discontinue support for Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1. This change will go into effect starting next year on January 1, 2024. Valve will be discontinuing support because its Steam client relies on Google Chrome, which no longer offers support for the previously mentioned versions of the Windows. Going forward, users will need to use a PC or laptop running Windows 10 or above, in order to properly use Steam. If you have yet to do so, now would be a great time to upgrade your PC to Windows 10.
SteamDeck receives first time discount to celebrate its one-year anniversary
Valve is offerings discounts on its Steam Deck handheld console for the first time, along with plenty of promotions on compatible games.
It's hard to believe, but the Steam Deck is celebrating its one-year anniversary. Although the Steam Deck technically launched towards the end of February, Valve is celebrating the moment over the next several days, while also offering a rare discount on the handheld console and compatible games.