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UPDATE: See here for the revised (higher) figures.

Valve have put up their usual monthly survey and the interesting thing for us is that the Linux share is the highest it's been for some time now.

We're currently tracking it every month on a dedicated page which gives you some historical data. As you can see, the current Linux market share on Steam is now at 0.71% as of September's figures. It hasn't been that high since July last year when it hit 0.74%. Although we're still chasing that elusive 1% mark.

With Valve introducing their new Steam Play system near the end of August, it certainly seems to have had an effect. Whether this continues or not is certainly going to be interesting to see, but it's still a pretty good sign. Still not exactly a high percentage when you compare it to Windows at 96.30% for September, but we do have to remember the seemingly ever-increasing user-count on Steam too which means we probably have a lot more users than some would think.

The biggest uncertainty will be people testing out Linux for Steam Play, if they do decide to become fully-fledged Linux users. I've honestly lost count of the amount of people across the net, that said they've officially dumped Windows or they're finally trying Linux out. There's been a lot of positive talk about it lately, so no matter what Valve have put Linux back on the radar.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check 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. Find me on Mastodon.
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Purple Library Guy Oct 2, 2018
Quoting: tuubi
Quoting: mao_dze_dun9 people are extremely friendly and helpful, but the 10th makes Apple fanboys go "Daaaaaaaaamn!!!" :))).
My experience with any tech community ever.
I agree but with the strikethrough added.
Purple Library Guy Oct 2, 2018
Quoting: Rooster
Quoting: mao_dze_dun
Quoting: TPhaster...we need friendly and welcoming community - they need to feel that Linux OS is for everybody and not for small tech elite.

Problem number one for the majority of people who tried Linux and then gave up, because thy were trolled on reddit by some elitist a**hole. Even some of the people on the Linux gaming sub-reddit are just insufferable. A few weeks back I was called out for having a "parasitic way of thinking" because I dared to express my view that an OS is nothing more than a tool and I will use both Windows and Linux for whatever purpose they best suit me. Then there was this other person, who tried to explain to me that not having Photoshop or Vegas Pro was somehow the fault of both the developer and the user. Essentially, people who need professional software had to be ashamed they need non-Linux software and use Linux anyway. Because f*ck your job - open source for life :). You just need a bit of a thick skin when you're in the Linux community. 9 people are extremely friendly and helpful, but the 10th makes Apple fanboys go "Daaaaaaaaamn!!!" :))).

True, but I would like to point out that the GamingOnLinux community we have here is pretty much the nicest gaming community on internet, at least from what I have experienced.

9 people be like: Everything is awesoooooome!
and the 10th be like: It would be even more awesome if it was DRM-free, but yeah, it's awesome.
Praise be to Liam's excellent moderation.
Anza Oct 2, 2018
Nobody so far noticed the potential clickbaity headline: "1% of Steam users will use Linux by end of 2018"

In the linked graph market share is rising so rapidly between July and September that if same trend continues graph would reach 1% in end of December.

Though of course for that to happen there needs to be some luck involved (ie. number of Chinese users don't increase, people don't switch back to Windows etc.).
Liam Dawe Oct 2, 2018
Quoting: Purple Library GuySo . . . the PUBG wave has crested?
Still don't trust the Steam Survey numbers anyway.
PUBG has been in decline for some time now. Their player graph on SteamDB paints a terrible picture for their future...

Quoting: Purple Library Guy
Quoting: Rooster
Quoting: mao_dze_dun
Quoting: TPhaster...we need friendly and welcoming community - they need to feel that Linux OS is for everybody and not for small tech elite.

Problem number one for the majority of people who tried Linux and then gave up, because thy were trolled on reddit by some elitist a**hole. Even some of the people on the Linux gaming sub-reddit are just insufferable. A few weeks back I was called out for having a "parasitic way of thinking" because I dared to express my view that an OS is nothing more than a tool and I will use both Windows and Linux for whatever purpose they best suit me. Then there was this other person, who tried to explain to me that not having Photoshop or Vegas Pro was somehow the fault of both the developer and the user. Essentially, people who need professional software had to be ashamed they need non-Linux software and use Linux anyway. Because f*ck your job - open source for life :). You just need a bit of a thick skin when you're in the Linux community. 9 people are extremely friendly and helpful, but the 10th makes Apple fanboys go "Daaaaaaaaamn!!!" :))).

True, but I would like to point out that the GamingOnLinux community we have here is pretty much the nicest gaming community on internet, at least from what I have experienced.

9 people be like: Everything is awesoooooome!
and the 10th be like: It would be even more awesome if it was DRM-free, but yeah, it's awesome.
Praise be to Liam's excellent moderation.
Hah thanks, some people think i'm too heavy handed at times but it has to be done otherwise shit gets out of hand.
TheSyldat Oct 2, 2018
Quoting: liamdaweHah thanks, some people think i'm too heavy handed at times but it has to be done otherwise shit gets out of hand.
Actually to be honest I think it's quite the opposite way around you're too light on the moderation hammer use. But I know damn well that when it gets out of the drawer and is wileded a bit too often it loses its impact...
Sad that some people are so slow to pick up on certain things.

But yeah so far you're doing a good job at trying to get everyone to play nice.
elmapul Oct 2, 2018
Quoting: PikoloWhy wouldn't they? Ubuntu Kylin is sponsored by the Chinese academy of sciences and Windows 10's snooping is a competitor to the great firewall.
except that:
1)microsoft already helps the chinese government to spy on their people, so they dont need an custom linux for that

2)they would have an bad time convincing developers to support linux and as an result, many consumers will use windows (even if they had to pirate it) to have acess to more games/softwares.

Quoting: PikoloI fully expect more states to start their national distro's as a cost saving measure, with business licenses for Windows increasing as a proportion of software licensing cost. This won't happen in the USA, but it might happen in Europe(France already provides Linux as one of the two OS's on parliamentary laptops) or in China/Saudi Arabia/Brazil. It's an interesting tactic to keep homegrown IT talent in the country.

i have no hope for my country (Brasil), we spent tons of $$ to migrate the data from an proprietary format to a free one, then we saved millions by adopting linux and free software, then the goverment change and guess what? it goes back to MS hands.
at least in a few states, its a shame.

it take some time to recoup the investiment of an migration, and before that happens microsoft is able to lobby the government in going back to lock then selves.

also, the government tried to push the people to use linux, but what happened?
some shit companies made crap distros that made an bad reputation for linux, combine that with the fact that it lacked games/softwares, and we have an recipe for disaster, people now know linux and hate it, wich is worse than not knowing it at all, the distro was so bad that NO ONE who used it would like linux and migrate for it (or keep in on their computer)
to this day people have an bad impression of linux.
looks like the national crap distros had priority over international good ones.
the government even went so far as giving an tax discount for computers sold with linux, but it was useless, people just dumped it and instaled pirated versions of windows on it.


Last edited by elmapul on 2 October 2018 at 7:51 pm UTC
Cyba.Cowboy Oct 2, 2018
Quoting: PikoloThere is a reason the only North Korean OS was Android based - Linux is the easiest place to start.

On the desktop, "Red Star OS" has always been based on "traditional" Linux (not Android)... The "mobile" version - based off Android - is a recent thing, from the last year or so.


Last edited by Cyba.Cowboy on 2 October 2018 at 8:53 pm UTC
kassindornelles Oct 3, 2018
we are getting there :) tnks to dxvk and valve proton
Scoopta Oct 3, 2018
Quoting: EhvisIt's possible that people using Steam on Wine were now more likely to get their survey on Linux again due to proton. It could also be a statistical anomaly. Time will tell.

On a positive note, I got a survey last night. On Linux obviously. :D
I personally think people using steam in wine should at least decline to take the survey unless it shows up in their native client so as to avoid inflating windows numbers. Hopefully it won't be an issue now anyway thanks to proton.
tonR Oct 3, 2018
Well, this is a prove Steam Play/Proton works. More Windows gamers might wanted to try Linux and/or might not need dual-boot anymore.

Also, PUBG already declining on PC in my hometown. Most people I know (who's gamers) playing Fortnite (some) or PUBG on mobile (most) because both are free-to-play and plus as mobile games, it can be played anywhere.
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