Linux Gaming on Steam Surpasses 3% Milestone in October 2025
▼ Summary
– Steam on Linux reached an all-time high of 3.05% market share in October 2025, surpassing the 3% threshold for the first time.
– This growth is attributed to the success of Valve’s Steam Deck, other handheld devices, and Steam Play (Proton) compatibility improvements.
– Windows market share fell to 94.84%, dropping below 95% for the first time in a while, while macOS held 2.11%.
– Among Linux users, SteamOS accounts for about 27% of installs, primarily due to its use on Steam Deck hardware.
– On Linux systems, AMD CPUs lead with 67.1% market share compared to Intel’s 32.89%, while on Windows, Intel leads with 57.8%.
The gaming landscape on Linux has reached a significant new peak, with the platform’s user base on Steam officially exceeding the three percent mark for the first time in October 2025. This milestone reflects years of steady progress, fueled heavily by the widespread adoption of Valve’s Steam Deck and other handheld gaming devices, alongside the remarkable compatibility improvements delivered by Steam Play and its Proton translation layer. While Linux came close to this threshold in the past, notably around its Steam debut over a decade ago, the overall number of Steam users was far smaller then, making today’s achievement substantially more meaningful.
Fresh data from the October 2025 Steam Hardware & Software Survey reveals that Linux gaming now accounts for 3.05% of the Steam user base, climbing by a solid 0.41% over the previous month. In contrast, Windows usage dipped slightly to 94.84%, falling below 95% for the first time in recent memory, while macOS held steady at 2.11%. To put this growth in perspective, Linux stood at just 2.00% during the same period one year earlier in October 2024.
Within the Linux ecosystem, SteamOS continues to dominate, representing roughly 27% of all Linux installations on the platform. This strong showing is largely attributed to the popularity of Valve’s Steam Deck, which comes preloaded with the custom operating system.
Looking at processor preferences among Linux gamers on Steam, Intel saw a modest increase, capturing 32.89% of the CPU market share compared to AMD’s 67.1% for the month. On the Windows side, Intel maintained a stronger lead with 57.8%, leaving AMD with 42% of the market.
Breaking the three percent barrier represents a major symbolic and practical victory for the Linux gaming community. As the total number of Steam users continues its upward trajectory, Linux is not only gaining a larger slice of the pie but also demonstrating its growing viability as a platform for mainstream gaming.
(Source: Phoronix)
