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PayPalValve have released the Steam Hardware & Software Survey for December 2025, bringing with it a fresh look at how Linux / SteamOS are doing on Steam. For this month we see that Linux is pretty much just holding steady, after hitting an all-time high for November 2025.
The overall numbers of user share across platforms on Steam:
- Windows 94.95%
- Linux 3.19%
- macOS 1.86%
Currently this puts the Linux user share on Steam at its second highest.
And as usual here's a snapshot look at the trend over time from our dedicated Steam Tracker statistics page:
Last month I did a small tweak to that page, to improve how we handle the event markers. Since you can select different dates, sometimes they went off the chart - now their positioning is a lot smarter. And, as per requests, it shows when Windows 10 hit end of life too. Hopefully you continue to find it useful for a historical look.
As for December 2025 the most popular Linux distributions were:
- SteamOS Holo 64 bit 20.41% -6.01%
- Arch Linux 64 bit 12.24% +2.27%
- CachyOS 64 bit 8.45% +1.71%
- Linux Mint 22.2 64 bit 8.43% +1.07%
- Bazzite 64 bit 6.60% +1.07%
- Freedesktop SDK 25.08 (Flatpak runtime) 64 bit 5.72% -0.24%
- Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS 64 bit 4.12% +0.26%
- EndeavourOS Linux 64 bit 2.92% +0.82%
- Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS 64 bit 2.25% +0.35%
- Fedora Linux 43 (KDE Plasma Desktop Edition) 64 bit 2.20% +2.20%
- Ubuntu Core 22 64 bit 2.17% -2.12%
- Manjaro Linux 64 bit 2.15% +0.25%
- Other 23.88% +3.45%
Source: Valve
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
About the author - Liam Dawe
I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly checked on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly.
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"Windows 94.95%"
Poor Microsoft, they lost some of their data sales from when I last checked.. :c
Last edited by SlayerTheChikken on 2 Jan 2026 at 2:47 pm UTC
Poor Microsoft, they lost some of their data sales from when I last checked.. :c
Last edited by SlayerTheChikken on 2 Jan 2026 at 2:47 pm UTC
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Kimyrielle 3 days ago
I like that trend line. :D
4 Likes
The trend is insane.
10% by 2030 or so seems inevitable now. I think at that level, it's the point where people can largely stop caring.
I mean, if you just want to see Microsoft lose OK that won't be done.
But at 10%, you'll be able to buy a mouse or a monitor or whatever, and assume its firmware is on LVFS. Any game publisher not bothering to at least test with Proton, will be truly an outlier.
From the consumer's point of view, pragmatically, it'll be about the same as 50%.
10% by 2030 or so seems inevitable now. I think at that level, it's the point where people can largely stop caring.
I mean, if you just want to see Microsoft lose OK that won't be done.
But at 10%, you'll be able to buy a mouse or a monitor or whatever, and assume its firmware is on LVFS. Any game publisher not bothering to at least test with Proton, will be truly an outlier.
From the consumer's point of view, pragmatically, it'll be about the same as 50%.
0 Likes
Quoting: KimyrielleI like that trend line. :DAnd it's better than that, really. It looks an awful lot like two trend lines, one of very gradual increase up to the Steam Deck release, and then a significantly steeper rise from Steam Deck release to now.
5 Likes
GustyGhost 2 days ago
-.01%
Sorry guys I turned my computer off to go make a sandwich. It won't happen again this month I promise.
Sorry guys I turned my computer off to go make a sandwich. It won't happen again this month I promise.
7 Likes
Also interesting to see SteamOS Holo being dethroned by Other and Arch-Based(if you sum them up like here.
Also if you just look at Linux English got a 100% share, I assume if multiple languages are installed Steam counts English as well xD
Also if you just look at Linux English got a 100% share, I assume if multiple languages are installed Steam counts English as well xD
1 Likes
Quoting: mattaraxiaThe trend is insane.ASSUMING the bestfit is correct... yes 2030 for 10% is possible
10% by 2030 or so seems inevitable now. I think at that level, it's the point where people can largely stop caring.
I mean, if you just want to see Microsoft lose OK that won't be done.
But at 10%, you'll be able to buy a mouse or a monitor or whatever, and assume its firmware is on LVFS. Any game publisher not bothering to at least test with Proton, will be truly an outlier.
From the consumer's point of view, pragmatically, it'll be about the same as 50%.
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2 Likes
One thing I've noticed lately is that everyone and their kid brother (for some reason it's all guys) seems to be doing videos about how they switched to Linux because Windows 11 sucks so hard. Or tried to . . . many were fine, but some found that in the end, some key piece of software stopped them from going full Linux.
But what I've found interesting is that everyone in these videos seems to agree that, as an OS, Linux is better than Windows now--more user friendly, not getting in your way, no ads, more privacy, customizable and so on . . . absolutely nobody said anything about Windows having any actual features they missed in Linux. When there was a caveat it was always "So it was great, but I need to use Adobe stuff" or "It was great, but the anti-cheat situation". Which means basically for any use-case that doesn't specifically require particular Windows software that won't work in Wine or Proton, everyone agrees Linux is not just ready, but superior.
But what I've found interesting is that everyone in these videos seems to agree that, as an OS, Linux is better than Windows now--more user friendly, not getting in your way, no ads, more privacy, customizable and so on . . . absolutely nobody said anything about Windows having any actual features they missed in Linux. When there was a caveat it was always "So it was great, but I need to use Adobe stuff" or "It was great, but the anti-cheat situation". Which means basically for any use-case that doesn't specifically require particular Windows software that won't work in Wine or Proton, everyone agrees Linux is not just ready, but superior.
9 Likes
Caldathras 19 hours ago
The thing I don't get is why does it have to be a 100% switchover? Such binary thinking -- either all-in or all-out. Why not set up a dual-boot first? Then the new Linux user could gradually shift over as they learn to work with Linux and/or find alternatives that do work for them in Linux. All they have to do is persevere.
There are always going to be one or two pieces of Windows software that won't work solidly in Linux. That is what dual-boots or virtual machines are for...
There are always going to be one or two pieces of Windows software that won't work solidly in Linux. That is what dual-boots or virtual machines are for...
1 Likes
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