Gaming on Linux is still niche, but the number of users doing so has recently shot up, according to Valve’s Steam.
In July, the market share for Linux-based gaming on Steam reached the 1% threshold after three years of remaining at the 0.8 to 0.9% range. GamingOnLinux noticed the sudden increase through Steam’s hardware and software survey, which regularly polls users to see what platforms they use to game.
For decades now, the overwhelming majority of PC gaming has occurred on Windows. But for consumers who prefer an operating system independent from Microsoft and Apple, Linux is a popular open-source option. (Check out our guide on how to get started.)
It’s unclear why the Linux market share for gaming jumped in July, and it's possible the Steam survey suffered a glitch. Nevertheless, the increase comes during an interesting time for the PC market. In late June, Microsoft introduced Windows 11, which will begin rolling out this holiday season and be available as a free update to Windows 10 users. However, the upcoming OS won’t run on PCs older than four years old.
Valve’s PC gaming handheld, Steam Deck, will also launch in December. The hardware runs a Linux-based OS called SteamOS, which is already available. But the software can still run Windows-based games, thanks to a Valve technology called Proton.
Hence, it’s possible Windows 11’s stiff requirements could be pushing more PC gamers to consider switching to Linux. Once Valve’s Steam Deck begins to ship, the market share for gaming on Linux will probably only increase.