Linux sets a new record on Steam

Operating system users Linux surpassed 3.1% of Steam users for the first time in October. The November Steam Hardware & Software survey showed that growth hasn't stopped yet. Linux users accounted for 3.2% of all users on the platform last month, which is still a pittance compared to the 94.79% of Windows users, but it's a new record for Linux gaming.

Valve's own distribution is largely to blame for this. SteamOS Holo is by far the most popular Linux distribution on Steam, with 26.4 percent of all open-source gamers using it. Arch Linux, Linux Mint, CachyOS, Bazzite, and Ubuntu are next, each with a share of around 5-10% each. Bazzite, a gaming-focused distribution that is often recommended as the best alternative to SteamOS for those building their own gaming PCs, has seen a notable jump this month. Debian and the Flatpak version of Steam, which is shown separately in the survey, are also seeing similar growth.

It's hard to say for sure what drove the two-month increase in Linux usage on Steam, but it coincides with the end of life of Windows 10, which is October 14, 2025. Most users have migrated to Windows 11, but a portion of gamers have clearly taken the opportunity to switch to Linux. They benefit from the fact that the gaming experience on Linux has improved greatly in recent years - mainly due to the success of the Linux-based Steam Deck and Valve's Proton compatibility layer, which has greatly expanded the range of games that run smoothly on Linux.