Another month gone, and another Steam Hardware Survey to take a look at. This month we have an unfortunate drop in numbers.
Linux results for March 2015
Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS 64 bit 0.28%-0.02%
Ubuntu 14.10 64 bit 0.12%-0.03%
Linux Mint 17.1 Rebecca 64 bit 0.09%-0.02%
Linux 3.10 64 bit 0.08%-0.01%
Total: 0.94%-0.11%
Last Month: 1.06%
It's also interesting to note that for Linux the Intel HD Graphics 4000 chip is the most popular. Intel actually dominates the top of the GPU list it seems. My chip the powerful Nvidia 970 also looks to be quickly rising up.
My thoughts on it
It's always sad to see a decline, but we're talking about such low percentages here it's anyone's guess what happened.
It still remains to be seen how Steam Machines will be counted (if at all). On desktop operating systems you need to manually opt-in if it asks you, so will they go through that for SteamOS? I've actually shot off a message to Valve to see if they could clarify how this will be done.
Important things to remember
Be aware these results will probably not be that accurate as we don't know how they do their percentage results, they could be rounding up, rounding down or truncating the percentages. So a 0.5% could actually be nearly 0.6% as it could be 0.59% but they could do no rounding and simply truncate it.
Also remember it is a survey, so it won't ask every single one of you to do it. It would only be truly accurate if it did it behind the scenes, but that's not what a survey is for as this is just to get a general idea.
Final Note: Look at it this way, Steam has around 125 million active users, 1% of 125 million is about 1,250,000 people. What developer wouldn't want to hook into a market that's possibly that big? Of course it doesn't mean they are guaranteed that amount of sales, but it's something fun to remember.
See the Hardware Survey on Steam here. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Linux results for March 2015
Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS 64 bit 0.28%-0.02%
Ubuntu 14.10 64 bit 0.12%-0.03%
Linux Mint 17.1 Rebecca 64 bit 0.09%-0.02%
Linux 3.10 64 bit 0.08%-0.01%
Total: 0.94%-0.11%
Last Month: 1.06%
It's also interesting to note that for Linux the Intel HD Graphics 4000 chip is the most popular. Intel actually dominates the top of the GPU list it seems. My chip the powerful Nvidia 970 also looks to be quickly rising up.
My thoughts on it
It's always sad to see a decline, but we're talking about such low percentages here it's anyone's guess what happened.
It still remains to be seen how Steam Machines will be counted (if at all). On desktop operating systems you need to manually opt-in if it asks you, so will they go through that for SteamOS? I've actually shot off a message to Valve to see if they could clarify how this will be done.
Important things to remember
Be aware these results will probably not be that accurate as we don't know how they do their percentage results, they could be rounding up, rounding down or truncating the percentages. So a 0.5% could actually be nearly 0.6% as it could be 0.59% but they could do no rounding and simply truncate it.
Also remember it is a survey, so it won't ask every single one of you to do it. It would only be truly accurate if it did it behind the scenes, but that's not what a survey is for as this is just to get a general idea.
Final Note: Look at it this way, Steam has around 125 million active users, 1% of 125 million is about 1,250,000 people. What developer wouldn't want to hook into a market that's possibly that big? Of course it doesn't mean they are guaranteed that amount of sales, but it's something fun to remember.
See the Hardware Survey on Steam here. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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The comments on this article are closed.
GTAV and Elite: Dangerous most likely pushed Windows usage numbers a lot higher than usual. Both OS X and Linux drops indicate that.
Can we have better way to calculate Linux gaming size?
Can we have better way to calculate Linux gaming size?
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Nothing to worry about, like Pecisk said, this is likely due to GTA:V on Windows.
Just imagine what the numbers would show if GTA V was released as a Linux exclusive on PC, instead of Windows..
Just imagine what the numbers would show if GTA V was released as a Linux exclusive on PC, instead of Windows..
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I blamed GTA V for this too :D. I do not like that game myself but I know many people who logged in again in steam only because of GTA V.
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I got the steam survey for the first time in over a year on Linux last night, so don't know if I am in those numbers or not, but I haven't been counted for months, and I haven't gamed on windows since before Christmas.
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Quoting: WorMzyNothing to worry about, like Pecisk said, this is likely due to GTA:V on Windows.
Just imagine what the numbers would show if GTA V was released as a Linux exclusive on PC, instead of Windows..
Well thats easy to imagine, the newbie support threads in the Ubuntu and Mint forums would have totally crashed :P
Also I agree with Pecisk too.
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leillo1975 May 6, 2015
I too am guilty of this. Because of GTA V, I'm using Windows in the last weeks
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Yup, it does seem that GTA is the most likely culprit.
Having said that....my "steam-wishlist" is shock-full of titles that are either "Windows Only", "Windows & Mac Only" or "Windows & Mac and maybe/possibly Linux sometime in a future far,far away..."
I'd be lying if I said the frustration isn't getting to me.
Having said that....my "steam-wishlist" is shock-full of titles that are either "Windows Only", "Windows & Mac Only" or "Windows & Mac and maybe/possibly Linux sometime in a future far,far away..."
I'd be lying if I said the frustration isn't getting to me.
1 Likes, Who?
Yeah, GTA 5 could be the reason, but I love the game and I hope that one day will hit the Linux/SteamOS too.
But imagine percentage if HL3 would be only announced as exclusive for SteamOS/Linux. I guess Linux would immediately swap positions with mac. :D
But imagine percentage if HL3 would be only announced as exclusive for SteamOS/Linux. I guess Linux would immediately swap positions with mac. :D
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Avehicle7887 May 6, 2015
Not counting the ones that don't participate in the survey, the numbers are probably higher. I don't use Steam but I buy Linux exclusive games on GoG and occasionally Humble Bundle too.
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QuoteIt's also interesting to note that for Linux the Intel HD Graphics 4000 chip is the most popular. Intel actually dominates the top of the GPU list it seems.
That is true not only for Linux. And I like it. There is a chance new games won't be designed only for the top gaming gear. HD4000+ are not that useless for 3D as much older integrated GPUs and graphics is not all what makes a game good.
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Let me quickly dualboot into windows in order to fill out the survey!
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Btw, any calculations of Linux gaming community outside Steam? Linux users are way more aware about DRM and can opt for buying games without DRM attached to it. Would they be 10 - 20% of Steam user base? 50%? Commence speculation! :D
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Quoting: PeciskBtw, any calculations of Linux gaming community outside Steam? Linux users are way more aware about DRM and can opt for buying games without DRM attached to it. Would they be 10 - 20% of Steam user base? 50%? Commence speculation! :D
Steam has 125 million active users...
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Cyba.Cowboy May 6, 2015
But those statistics are only based off those that receive the survey request and choose to complete the survey, right?
Not a very accurate way of documenting the actual hardware statistics, considering you're going to have a number of users refuse to participate and no way of ensuring a balanced collection of data... Valve Software should factor-in the number of Steam clients running on a given platform, either in the background or in-game.
There's no reason why Valve Software couldn't have such a data-collection method as an "opt-in" feature and it would surely have to be more accurate than the way they currently do things...
Not a very accurate way of documenting the actual hardware statistics, considering you're going to have a number of users refuse to participate and no way of ensuring a balanced collection of data... Valve Software should factor-in the number of Steam clients running on a given platform, either in the background or in-game.
There's no reason why Valve Software couldn't have such a data-collection method as an "opt-in" feature and it would surely have to be more accurate than the way they currently do things...
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Quoting: CybaCowboyThere's no reason why Valve Software couldn't have such a data-collection method as an "opt-in" feature and it would surely have to be more accurate than the way they currently do things...
Then it would simply be inflated by whatever platform chooses to opt-in more than the other. It wouldn't work.
We will never get an accurate representation, ever.
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Crazy Penguin May 6, 2015
Don't look to much on the percentage. Look on the number of Linuxusers behind it and how it has grown over the last year(s). I think the first percentage with ~1% was about 400k Users and now this rough same percentage stands for 1,25 Million Users. Which is IMHO a nice growth :)
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I dual boot for a few Windows games, and I noticed that it kept asking me to answer the survey when I'd boot into Windows. I kept declining, but when I was in Linux, which is most of the time, it never asked me. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but it is worth noting.
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Global desktop Linux usage share has been growing for the last four months according to StatCounter, starting from 1.39% in december to 1.91% last month, its highest score ever. In North America and Europe it's more pronouced with 2.54 and 2.45% respectively in april. Of course with such small numbers, it could dip again fast.
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linux_gamer May 6, 2015
+ Maybe Linux users are more concerened about their privacy and don't fill it.
+ GTA V has some impact but I wouldn't overrate it that much: Most played non-Valve but way behind Dota and CS:GO
+ I seriously can't remember when I got the survey on Linux, probably some years ago, but when ran my Win7 (happens very very rarely) it popped up at least 2 times.
+ GTA V has some impact but I wouldn't overrate it that much: Most played non-Valve but way behind Dota and CS:GO
+ I seriously can't remember when I got the survey on Linux, probably some years ago, but when ran my Win7 (happens very very rarely) it popped up at least 2 times.
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