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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteSteam passed approximately 38.3 million concurrent users on September 22, 2024, setting a platform milestone at the time. It was not a count of people all playing games: Steam distinguishes users who are online from users who are in-game. The 2024 mark is also no longer Steam’s all-time peak; Valve’s statistics page displayed a higher peak of 38,599,430 on October 8, 2026.
What happened on September 22, 2024?
Steam crossed 38 million concurrent users, with contemporaneous reports placing the peak at about 38.3 million. VGChartz, citing SteamDB, reported 38,367,277; Neowin reported 38,365,632 from Steam’s statistics page. The small difference reflects distinct reported readings, so “about 38.3 million” is the clearest way to describe the milestone without implying false precision. VGChartz’s September 23, 2024 report and Neowin’s contemporary report document the figures.
What does “concurrent users” count?
It is a platform-wide count of Steam users online at the same time, not a count of users actively playing a game. Steam’s statistics page presents concurrent users separately from game player counts. At the September 2024 peak, GamingOnLinux reported 12,270,218 users were in-game, substantially fewer than the overall online figure. GamingOnLinux’s report gives that in-game count.
Is 38.3 million still Steam’s record?
No. Valve’s official Steam statistics page displayed an all-time peak of 38,599,430 on October 8, 2026, surpassing the September 2024 milestone. These counts can change as Steam records new peaks, so the official page is the place to check the current figure.
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What drove the 2024 surge?
The published figures establish when Steam crossed the milestone, but they do not establish a single cause. The count alone cannot show whether a particular game, device, or broader trend drove the increase. SteamDB describes its charts as tracking concurrent player counts, with updates every five minutes for the current top thousand games and every ten minutes for other games; that cadence is useful context for fast-moving readings, not an explanation for why the platform’s overall count rose. SteamDB’s charts provide its tracker details.
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- Valve is entering the gaming console marketplace with the new Steam Deck, a console geared towards PC gamers. The Steam Deck can be docked to a monitor, and used as a PC, or docked to a TV.
- Players can play a huge variety of games at any time with the comfort of a console and the freedom of a PC. Not anti-glare screen.
- Like the name suggests, the Steam Deck will include upgraded 1TB storage, and will include a carrying case. A micro SD slot will also enable expanded storage.
- Valve partnered with AMD to create a specialized APU optimized for handheld gaming, and Valve says the chip will deliver performance to run AAA gaming titles.
- The Steam Deck is outfitted with a 7-inch touchscreen, and two trackpads under the control sticks that allow gamers to operate games never designed outside of mouse and keyboard capabilities.
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