A new post from Electronic Arts (EA) with the inauspicious title "Update your operating system for the EA App" tolls the final bell on the ill-fated Origin platform, and may be very bad news for a small subset of gamers. It's been a bit of a road to get here, but you'll see why in a moment: EA first announced that Origin would be replaced by the "EA Desktop App" in 2020, then things went quiet until October 2022 saw the more svelte "EA App" move into open beta.
The EA App has subsequently established itself as one of the least-bad attempts at these things from a major publisher. But Origin remained running alongside it, because it was a client running on 32-bit desktop software, and the EA App requires a 64-bit version of Windows. Microsoft announced back in 2020 that future versions of Windows 10 would no longer support 32-bit systems, a move that some thought was long-overdue, while others feared it would leave their older machines obsolete. Five years down the line, that decision is about to bite down hard.
"On April 17, 2025, Origin will shut down, as Microsoft has stopped supporting 32-bit software," says EA's statement. "If you use Origin, you need to upgrade to the EA app, which requires a 64-bit version of Windows."
Your Origin account data and games will transfer over to the EA App, though the publisher notes it may unintentionally break any installed mods. Also: Enable cloud saves before transferring to keep those. But if you don't have a system capable of running 64-bit Windows? You're officially screwed, at least when it comes to newer EA titles, as the EA App doesn't support 32-bit versions at all.
"You’ll need to upgrade to a 64-bit operating system on your device to play your games," says EA, rather flatly. Don't have one? "You'll need to use a newer computer to play." Ouch.
This probably won't make much of a difference to most of us. But while my desktop's fine and dandy, I still have an older gaming laptop which is (shock horror) a 32-bit system: This is my go-to on work trips and holidays, and it still runs perfectly well, so it's a little stark to see another line drawn in the sand for it.
While there are various workarounds to get 32-bit software working on 64-bit Windows, mainly Microsoft's own "compatibility" mode, these don't apply to Origin as EA itself is ending support. It also, incidentally, is another little nudge forcing users to upgrade to the latest version of Windows, giving Microsoft another chance to nickel-and-dime you so your PC keeps working.
Origin had a 14 year run and, while it was never a favourite of mine, others seem to think it ended up in a good place after a shaky start. I doubt there'll be anyone particularly mourning its passing,but it's another little headstone in Microsoft's move to definitively end 32-bit support: Older 32-bit software that isn't worth maintaining anymore is going to just fall by the wayside, and most examples won't be nearly as prominent as this. It's a melancholy reminder that, in our always-online age, older hardware is always vulnerable to being cut off from parts of the ecosystem, large and small.
