Valve's SteamOS and Linux gaming push has lifted Linux's share on Steam to over 5%, while Windows still holds more than 92% of PCs in Valve's Steam Hardware Survey. [1]
The survey shows Linux rising from under 1% in April 2021 to just over 5% by the time of the report. Valve did not break out SteamOS on its own, but Arch Linux accounted for about 0.33 of the Linux total. [1]
Valve has also given official SteamOS support to some third-party gaming handhelds and other hardware, and some makers have started shipping models with SteamOS pre-installed. Late in 2025, Valve announced the Steam Machine as a bid to challenge game consoles and lower-end gaming PCs. [1]
Microsoft's response has been limited, according to the report, with Windows handhelds relying on clunky third-party software and Microsoft later launching a competing interface on two Xbox-branded systems. The report says Valve's timing also lined up with Microsoft's push for users to move from Windows 10 to Windows 11. [1]
Valve's survey still leaves Windows far ahead, but the gap has narrowed as Linux gaming gains ground. [1]
