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[analog_future]

https://www.phoronix.com/news/Steam-On-Linux-Tops-5p

Valve just published the Steam Survey results for March 2026 and they have never been so incredible for Linux... 5.33%! Steam on Linux was never above 5% and easily an all-time high for the Linux gaming marketshare, especially in absolute numbers. The Steam Survey numbers show Windows losing 4.28%, down to 92.33%.

5% still isn't much but it's a start. Going to be interesting to see how the Steam Machine impacts those numbers.

 

[Dirk Benedict]

https://www.phoronix.com/news/Steam-On-Linux-Tops-5p


5% still isn't much but it's a start. Going to be interesting to see how the Steam Machine impacts those numbers.

That's huge for Linux and Microsoft. Let the bleeding continue.

 

[Generic]

Linux sucks because it can't run most games.

 

[Rubik8]

Linux sucks because it can't run most games.

This is going to age like milk.

 

[Hoddi]

Linux sucks because it can't run most games.

Most games suck because they can't run on Linux.

 

[poppabk]

The swings in the steam user survey make it not very reliable for anything but a general overview.

 

[bitbydeath]

Mac doubled in size.

 

[vdb]

Linux is getting better all the time.

I'm happy with my move to it. A few games don't work, but that will be sorted at some point.

 

[The_hunter]

Mac doubled in size.

Macbook Neo perhaps?

 

[poppabk]

Macbook Neo perhaps?

It's probably just sampling. They have had some major changes in the hardware survey recently that don't make a blind bit of sense if it was roughly the same population being sampled.

 

[bitbydeath]

It's probably just sampling. They have had some major changes in the hardware survey recently that don't make a blind bit of sense if it was roughly the same population being sampled.

I thought these numbers were pulled from Steams database?

 

[Thebonehead]

OP is from the future - 2027 - How's the world economy and has GTA 6 released?

 

[Guilty_AI]

OP is from the future - 2027 - How's the world economy and has GTA 6 released?

You think there'll be a world left by then?

 

[crackajack]

With all the whining about Win11 being so terrible one would assume it should have doubled or tripled at least around Win10 ending, but alas ... another percent is at least the right direction.

 

[pepeno]

It seems that SteamOS push from Valve is finally making real dent into Windows gaming. For years in circles we joked that "this year will be linux year" and then every year linux was either at 1% or even contracted.

Because of Proton, SteamOS push and various other things it seems that finally Windows is in decline. It noted almost 5% slide down which is MAJOR change in just a single year.

There is an effect that is roughly called "critical mass". Meaning that if enough people will move over suddenly moving from older platform to newer one becomes only good option as support increases exponentially for new platform and barier of chage is lower lower and lower.

Valve is yet to release Steam Machine and Steam Frame but next year should be even better for Linux.

Just 5 years ago playing on Linux was a joke. Now you can play most of games. There are still issues but those issues are now hammered out very fast.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

I'm all for the competition and we are all victims and suffer the Microsoft dependency but we need this

 

[DenchDeckard]

I'm all for the competition and we are all victims and suffer the Microsoft dependency but we need this

100% need this. There is absolutely no reason for Windows to not be the best OS on the market. MS makes so much money, and they have been in this game for long enough to "SHOULD" have the experience to deliver an incredible product.

The fact that windows is so poor in many ways is why we need this competition. If MS can't step up and do better, then we all leave.

Fuck 'em I say. Make something good and I will stick around, but the second I think I can run Linux with as minimal effort and compatibility as Windows 11 then I am moving over.

 

[J Required]

Massive hit to Microsoft!

 

[Salmorejo]

I'm not going to touch Windows 11. The day I leave Windows 10 is for Linux. Fuck Microslop.

 

[Insanemaelstrom]

Hope this trend continues.

 

[Pasta la Vista]

keep the good news coming, we get so little of that these days

 

[winjer]

I hope this is true, but it could be statistical error from the Steam hardware charts.
Remember that just last month, Windows 10 gained 10 points. Now it lost 14 points.
The 5070 became the most used GPU. But this month is in 5th.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

What is stopping Linux from gaining more share?

Except nvidia drivers?

Does it require them to update Linux constantly to be gaming ready? Or is only Nvidia drivers the problem?

 

[analog_future]

already a thread on this https://www.neogaf.com/threads/linu...-2027-steam-hardware-software-survey.1695388/

 

[crackajack]

Fuck 'em I say. Make something good and I will stick around, but the second I think I can run Linux with as minimal effort and compatibility as Windows 11 then I am moving over.

I'd say unless you can't let go of some locked MP games, switching should not a problem for anyone. Pretty much any mainstream OS has a no terminal installer anyway. Which is pretty much the same as the Windows routine. Just faster and less disk space required.

At least trying one distro on an old separate drive should be done. Doesn't matter which one. I have not tried everything there is, of course, but I think all I tried had steam in their repositories, add heroic and you have EGS freebies going. Even the hardcore distros like Gentoo and LFS have manuals for gaming. So Linux is all about supporting Steam.

What is stopping Linux from gaining more share?

Except nvidia drivers?

Does it require them to update Linux constantly to be gaming ready? Or is only Nvidia drivers the problem?

Nvidia drivers work less good than AMD and Intel, but afaik not actually terrible. I run Linux on an Nvidia system.
People just need to try and actually test if they can't handle it at all. If overwhelming options is a problem just stick with either Ubuntu, Kubuntu or Linux Mint which should be the safest bets and similar enough to Windows or Android to be comfortable/intuitive to use.

 

[analog_future]

It's actually reached 11.28% for English-only regions: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/steam-tracker/#engsplitanchor


Now that's a crazy number to me. That's certainly enough to have Microsoft sweating.

 

[Kacho]

The swings in the steam user survey make it not very reliable for anything but a general overview.

Yep. You're not alone.

Valve's latest Steam Hardware Survey is massively out of whack | Club386

There's something fishy going on with the latest Steam Hardware Survey, following strange substantial swings in language, RAM, and more.

www.club386.com

 

[Zathalus]

The swings in the steam user survey make it not very reliable for anything but a general overview.

The swings is due to a error with last months data. If you compare March and Jan it is far more inline with each other.

 

[cormack12]

Fuck 'em I say. Make something good and I will stick around, but the second I think I can run Linux with as minimal effort and compatibility as Windows 11 then I am moving over.

I mean they are kinda the only reasons we all stick with Windows lol, and they keep us in the ecosystem.

I've tried various flavours of Linux down the years, Red Hat, Mandrake, Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, Mint, Peppermint and worked with FreeBSD, AIX and Sparc Solaris. Various desktop managers and I mean it's OK but I think the mythology of Linux is better than the reality tbh.

 

[Davevil]

 

[I wasn't selling any]

 

[The_Mike]

I doubt people switch. It's more likely people are buying a steam deck in addition to using a Windows pc.

 

[SpokkX]

Nice - looking forward to the time when I can ditch Windows. Mostly waiting for a official steam os release with nvidia support

 

[The_hunter]

I doubt people switch. It's more likely people are buying a steam deck in addition to using a Windows pc.

I think valve paused all the sales due to the skyrocketing electronic prices. Steam decks have been out of stock for a couple of months.

 

[DryvBy]

I've tried about 3 versions of Linux and while for gaming, it's actually fine, half the other crap I use my PC for its complete crap. Once they figure that part out, Linux will be my main.

 

[OLED_Gamer]

Linux sucks because it can't run most games.

Isn't it mainly games with anti-cheat?

Steam Deck seems to work just fine with most singleplayer titles.

 

[poodaddy]

Isn't it mainly games with anti-cheat?

Steam Deck seems to work just fine with most singleplayer titles.

Yes. He's simply wrong, it happens.

 

[Fess]

Massive increase and 5%?
For some reason I thought Linux was way bigger than that.
Is this desktop Linux plus Steam Deck OS or just Linux desktop PCs?

 

[analog_future]

Linux sucks because it can't run most games.

It runs literally 95% of games, and runs them very well.

 

[analog_future]

Massive increase and 5%?
For some reason I thought Linux was way bigger than that.
Is this desktop Linux plus Steam Deck OS or just Linux desktop PCs?

This is SteamOS + other Linux distros.

Don't underestimate the ubiquity of Windows.


It is above 11% in English speaking countries, though.

 

[TrebleShot]

We are all seething and moulding that we cant play COD 58 EAFC 093939 and Marathon number 1 live service game of all time.

 

[thief183]

I switched to Linux, and for now every single game worked well, and I know another person who did this, for the first time in 42 years,

 

[Fess]

This is SteamOS + other Linux distros.

Don't underestimate the ubiquity of Windows.


It is above 11% in English speaking countries, though.

I got the idea that it was much bigger than that when so many here talk about it.
Is there a poll on the board for what OS people here use?

 

[analog_future]

I got the idea that it was much bigger than that when so many here talk about it.
Is there a poll on the board for what OS people here use?

I mean even here I can't imagine it's above 10%

 

[mopspear]

It's actually reached 11.28% for English-only regions: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/steam-tracker/#engsplitanchor


Now that's a crazy number to me. That's certainly enough to have Microsoft sweating.

This is important to take into account. A gradual but large increase in Chinese gamers affects the interpretation of statistics, especially when gaming is being judged as a whole.

5% or 11% is still small, but the important thing is the sharp increase. Some of you are saying it's in error which might be true, but I don't think so. Microsoft being dunked on 24/7 and constantly hearing YouTube PC nerds talk about switching to Linux and how great it is and how much easier it is than before probably got through to a lot of people.

I'd be cautious to think the YouTube nerd-bubble is representative of reality but this is Linux we're talking about.

 

[Griffon]

The linux numbers don't add up. Are we missing something?

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

I mean they are kinda the only reasons we all stick with Windows lol, and they keep us in the ecosystem.

I've tried various flavours of Linux down the years, Red Hat, Mandrake, Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, Mint, Peppermint and worked with FreeBSD, AIX and Sparc Solaris. Various desktop managers and I mean it's OK but I think the mythology of Linux is better than the reality tbh.

At least through supporting Linux you aren't putting more money in a mega-conglomerate's bank accounts that are already overstuffed and overvalued. And you retain more control at the user end to fine-tune your experience and ensure things work the way you want them to work.

This is one of the few areas where people you like to talk about ditching big corp could actually back it up with some action, but time and again we see too many who just like to run their mouths while still being sheep. It's a big reason these companies are increasingly confident in bending customers and screwing them over time and again, day by day.

 

[MarV0]

The linux numbers don't add up. Are we missing something?

It's a fluke next month it'll go back down.

 

[Mr Hyde]

Love to see it. I hope this trend continues and becomes the default OS for PC gaming.

 

[analog_future]

Love to see it. I hope this trend continues and becomes the default OS for PC gaming.

For AMD users it's completely ready. Performs just as well if not better than Windows.

Nvidia users still have a ways to go, but lots of progress has been made.