Linux use hits an all-time-high on Steam, passing 5% user share
Linux use amongst PC gamers is growing, and Valve’s Steam Machine isn’t even out yet
Valve has released its March 2026 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 5.33% of Steam users. This month, Linux has over twice as many users as MacOS.
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. There’s a reason why Microsoft is scrambling to fix Windows and boost its performance.
In 2024, 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. Even without Valve’s Steam Machine, Linux use is growing thanks to the success of Bazzite and other gaming-focused distributions.
(Steam Hardware Survey Data)
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 24.48% of Steam’s Linux user base. It is by far the most popular version of Linux used by Steam users. That said, Steam OS isn’t rapidly gaining market share, suggesting that all major Linux distributions are seeing growth, not just Valve’s SteamOS.
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 worry about its OS market share.
You can join the discussion on the growth of Linux gaming on the OC3D Forums.
