Linux adoption woes and mid-range GPUs stand out in Steam Survey for August 2025

[Redaktion]

Valve has completed the Steam Hardware and Software Survey for August 2025, and the results are a mix of expected and disappointing ­— the latter especially for Linux users hoping to grow the user base in order to gain more developer support.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Linux-adoption-woes-and-mid-range-GPUs-stand-out-in-Steam-Survey-for-August-2025.1104377.0.html

[Hotz]

One of the more interesting data points is that Linux adoption [on Steam], which has been on an upward trend, has fallen again

It's very similar to the general desktop market share: Linux desktop share has risen up to almost 4.3% some months ago, but meanwhile fallen back to 3.9% again. It has been going up and down for months, but never kept a significant upwards trend.

It's almost like people try out Linux "in waves" (maybe because some tech websites or youtubers promote it), but find it s***, and delete it again.

The reasons for that are probably the same as always: fragmentation and lack of a standardized unified desktop experience. It also doesn't help to create more distributions to attract particular segments - they can call it "gaming distributions" all they want (CachyOS, Bazzite, Nobara...) - it means nothing to the average Joe Gamer. As soon as they realize the inconsistent, chaotic nature of the Linux world, it repels most of them again.

[peepeepoopoo]

One of the more interesting data points is that Linux adoption [on Steam], which has been on an upward trend, has fallen again

It's very similar to the general desktop market share: Linux desktop share has risen up to almost 4.3% some months ago, but meanwhile fallen back to 3.9% again. It has been going up and down for months, but never kept a significant upwards trend.

It's almost like people try out Linux "in waves" (maybe because some tech websites or youtubers promote it), but find it s***, and delete it again.

The reasons for that are probably the same as always: fragmentation and lack of a standardized unified desktop experience. It also doesn't help to create more distributions to attract particular segments - they can call it "gaming distributions" all they want (CachyOS, Bazzite, Nobara...) - it means nothing to the average Joe Gamer. As soon as they realize the inconsistent, chaotic nature of the Linux world, it repels most of them again.

Rightfully said. As much as I dislike the direction Windows has been going, Linux is not a solution. Unless SteamOS becomes fully focused on targeting Windows, Linux adoption is never gonna happen.

[GeorgeS]

One of the more interesting data points is that Linux adoption [on Steam], which has been on an upward trend, has fallen again

It's very similar to the general desktop market share: Linux desktop share has risen up to almost 4.3% some months ago, but meanwhile fallen back to 3.9% again. It has been going up and down for months, but never kept a significant upwards trend.

It's almost like people try out Linux "in waves" (maybe because some tech websites or youtubers promote it), but find it s***, and delete it again.

The reasons for that are probably the same as always: fragmentation and lack of a standardized unified desktop experience. It also doesn't help to create more distributions to attract particular segments - they can call it "gaming distributions" all they want (CachyOS, Bazzite, Nobara...) - it means nothing to the average Joe Gamer. As soon as they realize the inconsistent, chaotic nature of the Linux world, it repels most of them again.

Rightfully said. As much as I dislike the direction Windows has been going, Linux is not a solution. Unless SteamOS becomes fully focused on targeting Windows, Linux adoption is never gonna happen.

Agreed.

For those of us with Nvidia hardware (or even WORSE with OLDER Nvidia hardware) the Linux options provide a much less performing option.

Then comes the HARD reality - less than %20 of my Steam Library is even rated as 'compatible' while not forgetting that 'compatibility' being questionable at best.

Until such time a Linux install is able to host and provide the same or better gaming experience as WIN10 does - it is a show stopper.

[A]

It's very similar to the general desktop market share: Linux desktop share has risen up to almost 4.3% some months ago, but meanwhile fallen back to 3.9% again. It has been going up and down for months, but never kept a significant upwards trend.

That isn't exactly true. Yes, linux marketshare has been going up and down, but a lot of that is due to seasonal trends with overall trajectory still going up.

In Jun 2015 it was just 1.77%, by Jun 2020 is was 1.69%, Jun 2022 it was 2.42%, Jun 2024 it was 4.05% and Jun 2025 was 4.09%

It isn't outright shooting up, but it is going up bit by bit even if some months have lower and some months have higher.

While there will be people who try it and go back, there is also margin of error too. And another thing to consider is much of the coming linux crowd is privacy sensitive, so it isn't uncommon for them to install linux, then go see how they can make their privacy better which would include blocking these kind of statistics from measuring them.

Even more so cause some websites block based on useragent, and the solution to get them to work is change your useragent to windows.


The only thing repelling linux use is it not being preinstalled on computers, for most people the fragmentation is completely irrelevant.

As for gaming distros, what most of them do is mostly preinstall things like proton/wine so people don't have to set it up themselves and include some optimizations for gaming. Of course many of them are also more bleeding edge to support latest hardware.

[indyp]

Windows user/administrator pretty much from the beginning.  Supported Windows NT 3.51/4 as my first post-college job.  Even ran into Bill Gates on the street in Portland (Assuming he was visiting Paul Allen, who used to live there?)

Migrated to a Linux laptop and a Playstation 5 Pro a few years ago, have no plans to go back.

I was gifted a Steam Deck.  I've loaded games on it, but it mostly sits unused.  I had all sorts of issues getting controllers to work reliably with the games I had, and lost interest.  I guess I don't have the passion/patience for that anymore.

Linux has been relatively trouble-free.  Will never go back to Windows.

[Jonathan Hartley]

> Then comes the HARD reality - less than %20 of my Steam Library is even rated as 'compatible' while not forgetting that 'compatibility' being questionable at best.

This is overly harsh. Almost all games run on Linux these days with zero problems. I don't even look up if a new game is compatible, I just buy it, and it works. Of all the games I've bought in recent years, for both me and my 13 y.o. kid, only one has turned out to not be compatible (a Plants Vs Zombies game).

[GeorgeS]

> Then comes the HARD reality - less than %20 of my Steam Library is even rated as 'compatible' while not forgetting that 'compatibility' being questionable at best.

This is overly harsh. Almost all games run on Linux these days with zero problems. I don't even look up if a new game is compatible, I just buy it, and it works. Of all the games I've bought in recent years, for both me and my 13 y.o. kid, only one has turned out to not be compatible (a Plants Vs Zombies game).

Not in the least.

Forgetting that the 'rating system' is mostly/entirely subjective, 'overly optimistic' would be fairly accurate description of it.

Forgetting Video Games for the moment, many 'desktops' for Linux have become fairly standardized and the supporting libraries of applications can/could easily fill the needs of most if not ALL the non-Windows gaming public at large.

Frankly it is merely those oddball "specialized" or "unique" applications that users insist on using (because it is what they are given at their employer) that Linux lacks.

If only NEW computers merely came with a FREE Linux distro loaded by default (and Windows was a +Co$t addition) there might be a larger user base.

[West]

I tried linux on my nvidia gpu. I lost like 30 fps in most games i play, so i promptly uninstalled it.

[A]

I tried linux on my nvidia gpu. I lost like 30 fps in most games i play, so i promptly uninstalled it.

Did you install the proprietary nvidia drivers or use the default open source nouveau drivers that come with many distros? Some distros offer to install it for you, but others do not as they keep pure open source as default.