Linux use hits all-time-high on Steam

Linux use amongst PC gamers is growing, and Valve’s Steam Machine isn’t even out yet

Valve has released its November Steam hardware survey, and it is clear that Linux adoption continues to grow among gamers. Now, Linux use has reached an all-time high of 3.2% of Steam users. This month, Linux is the only OS that gained market share on Steam.

While Windows remains PC gaming’s dominant OS, it is clear that many gamers are tired of it. Interest in Valve’s new Steam Machine wouldn’t exist if Windows didn’t have issues. In fact, there are many games that run better on Linux than on Windows, due to SteamOS’ increased efficiency.

Last year, Linux accounted for only 2% of Steam’s user base. In 2026, we expect Linux’s use amongst PC gamers to continue growing, with Valve’s Steam Machine being a driving force.

(OS use by active Steam users)

Linux’s growth isn’t just because of Valve’s Steam Deck

Until now, Steam’s growing Linux user base has been primarily driven by the popularity of Valve’s Steam Deck. Today, SteamOS represents 26.42% of Steam’s Linux user base. It is by far the most popular version of Linux used by Steam users, but this month its usage has declined. This month, other distributions of Linux are seeing higher levels of growth. This may be due to some Windows 10 users transitioning to Linux. Additionally, some PC users could be building their own Steam Machines. Note that “Bazzite”, a SteamOS-like Linux distribution for gamers, is one of the fastest-growing Linux distributions.

(Linux OS use, by distribution)

Linux’s adoption amongst gamers is growing, with Valve’s Proton software steadily improving the compatibility of Steam’s vast gaming library on Linux. With Linux’s growth and Google’s plans to merge Android and ChromeOS for PC use, it’s clear that Windows is facing tougher competition. Add on Apple’s increasingly powerful “Apple Silicon” processors, and it’s easy to see why Microsoft might be worried about its OS market share.

If Microsoft want to maintain Windows’ dominance, it needs to make some changes. Note that Microsoft has finally fixed its decade-old “update and shutdown” bug. Furthermore, the “Xbox Fullscreen experience” aims to boost Windows’ gaming performance.

You can join the discussion on Linux’s growing use on Steam on the OC3D Forums.