Steam is one of the most popular digital video game distribution services in the world, where you can find almost all the latest video games for Windows, Mac and Linux. It can be installed on any operating system. While the number of games available for Linux and Mac is quite limited, new ones are added every week! Steam also has its own operating system, called SteamOS, thanks to which you can turn your PC into a powerful video game console.
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Windows
Step 1. Open the Steam website
You can download Steam from steampowered.com.
Step 2. Click on "Install Steam"
This is a green button located at the top of the Steam page.
Step 3. On the next page, click "Install Steam" again
This will download the installer, an EXE file.
Step 4. Launch the installer and follow the prompts
You will need to accept the license agreement and confirm that you are 13 or older.
By default, Steam is installed in C: / Program File / Steam. If you wish, you can change the installation folder during the process. You will also be able to set up the game installation in a different directory. This possibility will be useful if you want to install the games on a different partition
Step 5. Launch Steam and wait for it to update
After installing the program, you will be prompted to start it. After the first launch, Steam will need to update itself. The update process will take a few minutes.
Step 6. Log in with your account or create a new one
If you already have an account, you can use it to log in, otherwise you can create a new one for free.
- Follow the directions to create an account. You will need to choose a username and password, as well as provide a valid email address. After creating your account you will need to confirm your e-mail address by clicking on the verification link that will be sent to you. If the username you have chosen has already been selected, you will be shown several alternatives, subject to the possibility of creating another one.
- If you already have an account, SteamGuard will likely ask you to verify your identity to prevent unauthorized access.
Step 7. Use the labels at the top of the Steam window to move between tabs
The store page will open the first time you start Steam. You can move to the other sections by clicking on the labels at the top of the window. Hover your cursor over the labels to select the different sub-pages.
Step 8. Select a folder for video game installation (optional)
By default, video games will be installed in the directory where Steam is installed. You can change this setting if you prefer to install them in another location, for example on a second hard drive.
- Click on the "Steam" menu and choose "Settings".
- Select the "Downloads" page in the Settings menu and then click on "Steam Library Folders".
- Click on "Add Folder" and then choose the folder in which you want the games to be installed.
Step 9. Open the library page to see the games you have purchased
In the list of video games on the left, those not installed will appear in gray, while those installed will appear in white. Selecting one of the video games will open the information page, allowing you to see the achievements, DLCs, latest news, etc.
Step 10. Double-click a game that has not yet been installed to begin installing it
You can use the drop-down menu in the installation window to select the folder in which you want to install the game. You will also be given the option to create shortcuts to the game on your desktop and Start menu.
- Depending on the size of the game and the type of internet connection, the download can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few days.
- You can check the downloads in progress by hovering the mouse cursor over the library label and selecting "Downloads".
Method 2 of 5: Mac
Step 1. Visit the Steam website
You can find it at steampowered.com.
Step 2. Click on the "Install Steam" button in the upper right corner
Step 3. Click on "Install Steam" again
If you are not downloading the Mac version, click on the "Mac" link under the "Install Steam" button.
Step 4. Double-click the installer you downloaded and accept the Steam Terms of Service
Drag the Steam icon to the Applications folder. This way the Steam program will be installed on your computer.
Step 5. Double-click the Steam icon in the Applications folder
Click Open to confirm that you want to start the program.
Step 6. Wait for Steam to update
When you start Steam for the first time, update files will be downloaded. This process can take several minutes. Steam sometimes installs updates when it starts.
Step 7. Log in with your Steam account or create a new one
If you already have an account, you can use it to log in after Steam has finished the updates. If you don't have an account, you can create one for free by following the instructions provided.
- To create a new account you will also need to create a username. If the one you have chosen has already been selected, you will be given several alternatives, or you can create a new one. You will also need a valid email address to confirm the account. You can use this address to reset your password and for SteamGuard verification.
- If you already have an account, you will likely be prompted for a SteamGuard verification code. You will receive the code at the email address associated with the account. SteamGuard will help you prevent unauthorized access to your account.
Step 8. Use the labels at the top of the Steam window to move between sections
Depending on the settings you have selected, the store page or the library page will open when you start Steam. Hover the mouse cursor over the labels to see the different sub-pages of each section.
Step 9. Open the library page to see the games you have purchased
Uninstalled video games will appear gray, while installed games will appear white.
Note that not all games on Steam are supported on Mac. If you've purchased a lot of games, you probably won't see them all on the library page. When purchasing a video game, make sure the Apple logo and "Mac OS X" are present in the System Requirements section of the store page
Step 10. Double-click a game that has not yet been installed to begin the installation process
You will be informed about the space the game will take up on your hard drive and you will be given the option to create shortcuts.
Note that the estimated download time is almost always inaccurate. It will probably take less time than indicated
Step 11. Wait for the download to finish
Depending on the size of the game and the speed of your internet connection, the download can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. You can check the progress in the video game list. You can also close Steam during a download and resume it from the same point by restarting the program.
Method 3 of 5: Ubuntu
Step 1. Update the graphics drivers
While some games won't need updates to play, most of the newer ones won't work well or won't start if you don't have the latest drivers installed on your computer. Depending on the graphics card installed on your computer (Nvdia or AMD / ATI), the procedure is different.
Nvidia: open the software sources and then click on the "Additional drivers" tab; choose the latest version of the "experimental" drivers and then click on "Apply changes"
Step 2. Open Ubuntu Software (or Ubuntu Software Center for versions prior to 16.04)
On Ubuntu, Steam can be downloaded directly from Ubuntu Software.
Step 3. Search for "steam" and click "Install" on the Steam entry
This will download the Steam package and install it on your computer.
You may be prompted to install the beta software. In this case, click on "Start Steam Beta"
Step 4. Log into your Steam account or create a new one
If you already have a Steam account, you can use it to log in. You will likely be asked to enter the SteamGuard verification code to confirm your identity. If you don't have an account, you can follow the directions to create one.
Step 5. Use the labels at the top of the window to move between sections
Steam usually opens on the shop or library page. You can click on the labels to move between sections or hover the mouse cursor over them to see the sub-pages of each section.
Step 6. See your Linux compatible games on the library page
When you open the library page, you will see a list of all the Linux compatible video games you have bought. Since not all video games are compatible with Linux, the list will likely be smaller than normal if you have a very large library.
Step 7. Double-click on a video game to begin installing it
You will be shown the size of the video game and given the option to create shortcuts. The download time will vary significantly depending on the size of the game and the type of internet connection.
Method 4 of 5: Mint
Step 1. Open the software sources
Steam is not included in the Mint repository, so you will need to manually add it before installing it. You can also install Steam directly from the website without adding it to software sources, but in this case you will have to manually update it every time an update is released (and it happens very frequently).
Step 2. Choose "Additional Repositories" and then click "Add"
Step 3. Paste
deb https://repo.steampowered.com/steam/ precise steam in the address bar.
Step 4. Open the terminal and type
sudo apt-get update.
This will update the repositories.
Step 5. Type
wget -O -
Press Enter to execute the command. This will download the signed key for the repository and you can install the software contained in it.
Step 6. Open the Application Manager and follow the instructions for installing on Ubuntu
The rest of the process is the same as for Ubuntu. Click on "Install" and follow the steps to install Steam and download the games.
Method 5 of 5: SteamOS
Step 1. Understand what will happen when you install SteamOS
SteamOS is a Linux-based operating system designed for use with the main television set, typically installed in the living room. Installing SteamOS will erase everything on your computer and SteamOS does not support dual-booting or multiple partitions. Make sure you don't need any of the data on the computer you intend to install it on.
Step 2. Download the SteamOS Beta installer
You can download it from this address. This is a 1GB file, so the download may take some time.
Step 3. Insert a USB drive with at least 4GB of memory
Make sure there are no important files, as everything in it will be erased.
Step 4. Right click on the USB drive and choose "Format"
You will need to format the USB drive in order to load the recovery image. Choose "FAT32" as the file system. Click Start and wait for the USB drive to be formatted.
Step 5. Double-click the ZIP file you downloaded to open it
Drag all content to the USB drive.
Step 6. Restart your computer and open the BIOS menu
You will need to press the BIOS key when you see the manufacturer's logo. Typical BIOS keys are F2, F10, F11 and Del.
Step 7. Open the BOOT menu in the BIOS interface
Choose the UEFI option as the primary boot device. This will allow you to boot your computer from the SteamOS recovery image on the USB drive.
If the UEFI option is not present, you may need to enable UEFI for the motherboard. If you can't enable UEFI, you'll need to download the ISO file and burn it to a DVD. Later, you can boot your computer from the DVD to begin the installation. You can download the ISO file from repo.steampowered.com/download/
Step 8. Save your changes and restart your computer
If you have set the boot options correctly, you will see the SteamOS boot menu.
Step 9. Choose "Automated install" and press
Enter.
The rest of the installer is automatic. You can follow the installation progress on the screen. Your computer will reboot once the installation is complete and the SteamOS desktop will appear afterwards.
Step 10. Wait for Steam to install
After the computer boots to the desktop, the Steam client will immediately begin downloading updates so that Steam can be installed.
During the Steam setup process you will quickly see some terminal information appear as the files are installed and configured
Step 11. Choose "reboot" after Partclone has finished the backup
The Partclone program will start automatically at the end of the installation to create a backup copy of the system. Once the backup is complete, you will be asked to choose from the options on a menu. Choose "reboot" to restart your computer.
Step 12. Start using SteamOS
After the restart, SteamOS will load the hardware drivers, which may take about a minute. This will only happen the first time you start the operating system. Once the upload is complete, the SteamOS configuration process will start through which you can choose the language, adjust the screen settings, select the time zone and review the license agreement.
Step 13. Log in or create an account
After completing the setup, you will be able to log in with your Steam account or create a new one. If you don't have an account, follow the instructions to create one in minutes. If you already have an account, you will likely be asked for the SteamGuard verification code, which will be sent to the email address linked to Steam.
Step 14. Use the controller or mouse to navigate
SteamOS natively supports controllers, and the interface has been designed for use with one of them. The labels on the top will allow you to jump from the bookstore to the shop page. SteamOS is a Linux-based operating system and only supports Linux compatible video games.
