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Linux Passes 3% on Steam for the First Time

Valve’s latest Steam survey puts Linux at 3.05% of users, reflecting gains from handheld adoption.

Overview

  • Linux reached 3.05% of Steam users in October 2025, up 0.37 percentage points month over month and roughly 50% higher than October 2024’s 2.0%.
  • Windows’ share dipped to about 94.84% and macOS registered roughly 2.11% in the same survey, signaling small shifts in the platform mix.
  • SteamOS Holo accounts for 27.18% of Linux installs on Steam, yet only about one third of Linux users appear to be on SteamOS-like devices, with many running Arch, Mint, Bazzite and other distributions.
  • Independent tracking suggests close to 90% of Windows games now launch on Linux via Proton or natively, though performance issues and anti-cheat limitations still prevent some titles from being truly playable.
  • The Steam Hardware & Software Survey reflects Steam’s installed user base rather than the overall PC market, and the broader impact of new SteamOS handhelds such as Lenovo’s Legion Go S remains uncertain.