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Update 04/10/16: Valve have adjusted their numbers, it seems the correct amount is now
Linux Total: 0.93% + 0.10%
Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS 64 bit 0.34% + 0.06%
Linux 64 bit 0.10% + 0.01%
Linux Mint 18 Sarah 64 bit 0.08% + 0.02%
Ubuntu 14.04.5 LTS 64 bit 0.06% + 0.06%

Original article below:
Another month goes by and another Steam Hardware Survey was done, I got a pop up this month and it seems we have increased our share two months in a row on Steam.

Linux Total: 0.94% + 0.11%
Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS 64 bit 0.35% + 0.07%
Linux 64 bit 0.10% + 0.01%
Linux Mint 18 Sarah 64 bit 0.08% + 0.02%
Ubuntu 14.04.5 LTS 64 bit 0.06% + 0.06%

Someone in the comments a while ago suggested that the free Windows 10 update was causing the figures to slide on the Linux side. I am starting to agree with this, as a change of OS and/or a change of hardware are two things that can actually trigger the survey. I have seen this myself multiple times when I hop from one thing to another. Once that stopped, we've seen two months in a row of growth, although last month was smaller in comparison we shouldn't expect this to carry on for long.

It seems our higher result was due to Windows losing -0.33%, Mac gained the rest at +0.25%. Windows 10 64 bit currently being the most popular OS in use on Steam.

This could all still change again next month, so it's nothing to truly go and celebrate over. Still small percentages being talked about and yes it could all be down to statistical errors which is my point about not running off celebrating just yet, before people complain I'm being too positive or not looking into it enough (people moaned at me for last time, happy to act on the feedback).

One thing was different this month, the survey specifically asked me if I was using the little dock for the Steam Controller Dongle. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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40 comments
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MaCroX95 Oct 2, 2016
In fact, this week I converted 2 hardcore Win10 gamers to Linux because they're fed up with Win10 breaking everything at every updates. The anniversary upgrade was a disaster for both of them. I dare hope that these are not isolated occurances. :)

Edit: Typo.

Great job! :D

Together we can turn them to the dark side :P
I am promoting linux as much as I can at my place because big companies and stores don't cause they have no profit by doing so... so it really depends on us users :)

Keep them coming! :D
Aimela Oct 2, 2016
First Steam survey in ages, a few days ago.
Same here, I hadn't received one since back when I mainly used Windows(although I still use it to play certain games, so I'm glad I didn't get the survey there).


Last edited by Aimela on 2 October 2016 at 2:55 pm UTC
Shinikio Oct 2, 2016
Hi there !

Windows 10 is crappy, here what I hate on it :

- Can't choose update
- Update anytime, especially when you don't want it to do it now
- Some settings return by default such as "Restauration", "Fast Boot" and all those useless things after some updates
- Becomes slower and slower, like all Windows, unfortunately
- Updates aren't tested well, the anniversary made Windows really buggy...

I felt tired to check if my system didn't change settings by itself and didn't want to reinstall cause of annoying bugs, so, I've got rid of Windows 10 some weeks ago and I do not regret it at all.
I hate that Microsoft control your computer, this is unbearable

Cheers


Last edited by Shinikio on 2 October 2016 at 3:48 pm UTC
GustyGhost Oct 2, 2016
I don't think the crap part will stop Win10 from growing. It didn't stop Windows as a whole.

A lot of interesting statistics also appear when you start filtering. Linux users appear to run the most powerful hardware on average. Pretty much half of the Mac users run on Intel integrated GPUs. That puts the Mac percentages in perspective and shows why Linux is interesting to Mac porters like Feral and Aspyr.

Hell, yeah with Linux users tendency to also be DIYers you know we have a ton of extra hardware laying around. I just recently cobbled together some server hardware... it triggered the Steam survey.
Beamboom Oct 2, 2016
Isn't this in fact the third month in a row with a little rise?
Eike Oct 2, 2016
View PC info
  • Supporter Plus
although I still use it to play certain games, so I'm glad I didn't get the survey there

You can always decline to take it.

(Which by the way would make a general survey non-representative as well, as we would gladly take the survey, but Windows users may have a higher chance to decline.)
PublicNuisance Oct 2, 2016
Any progress is good progress.
Mountain Man Oct 2, 2016
I still wish Valve was more proactive about promoting Linux/SteamOS. If you're particularly cynical, you could strike the word "more" from the previous sentence.


Last edited by Mountain Man on 2 October 2016 at 7:40 pm UTC
Beamboom Oct 2, 2016
I still wish Valve was more proactive about promoting Linux/SteamOS. If you're particularly cynical, you could strike the word "more" from the previous sentence.

It's not ready yet. You don't get a second chance to make a first impression.
Philadelphus Oct 2, 2016
Valve releasing an awesome Linux exclusive would mean only 1 thing... thousands of gamers rushing to install Linux to play a game HL3 for example :D Such thing needs to be done so Windows users would lose their tight grip to 1 OS. But back to reality Valve would never do such thing because they are really the one company that cares about PC gaming and their users opposite to majority of game development companies out there.
While I'm against platform-exclusive games on principle, I wouldn't particularly mind if Half-Life 3 was released on Linux first, say, perhaps a week before releasing to other platforms… :)
ElectricPrism Oct 2, 2016
Valve releasing an awesome Linux exclusive would mean only 1 thing... thousands of gamers rushing to install Linux to play a game HL3 for example :D Such thing needs to be done so Windows users would lose their tight grip to 1 OS. But back to reality Valve would never do such thing because they are really the one company that cares about PC gaming and their users opposite to majority of game development companies out there.
While I'm against platform-exclusive games on principle, I wouldn't particularly mind if Half-Life 3 was released on Linux first, say, perhaps a week before releasing to other platforms… :)

I disagree, however I wouldnt mind Half Life 3 having Legendary Exclusive perks only on SteamOS.

However im not against developers choosing to do exclusives.
m2mg2 Oct 2, 2016
Valve releasing an awesome Linux exclusive would mean only 1 thing... thousands of gamers rushing to install Linux to play a game HL3 for example :D Such thing needs to be done so Windows users would lose their tight grip to 1 OS. But back to reality Valve would never do such thing because they are really the one company that cares about PC gaming and their users opposite to majority of game development companies out there.
While I'm against platform-exclusive games on principle, I wouldn't particularly mind if Half-Life 3 was released on Linux first, say, perhaps a week before releasing to other platforms… :)

I disagree, however I wouldnt mind Half Life 3 having Legendary Exclusive perks only on SteamOS.

However I'm not against developers choosing to do exclusives.

I'm not against developers choosing to make a game for one platform. I am against platforms paying/pressuring developers to develop for only one platform (DirectX/Windows/Nvidia).
Ben D Oct 3, 2016
I have never seen the Steam Survey in my 5 years of using Steam, either on Linux or on Windows.
skinnyraf Oct 3, 2016
Last Saturday: a survey on my Debian box, yay! The previous weekend: I had to launch Steam in desktop mode on my Steam Machine to repair it and, yay, a Steam survey on SteamOS :)
Mountain Man Oct 3, 2016
I still wish Valve was more proactive about promoting Linux/SteamOS. If you're particularly cynical, you could strike the word "more" from the previous sentence.
It's not ready yet. You don't get a second chance to make a first impression.
Steam for Linux has been out for nearly three-years. It's long past the point of first-impressions.


Last edited by Mountain Man on 3 October 2016 at 11:27 am UTC
Purple Library Guy Oct 3, 2016
Last Saturday: a survey on my Debian box, yay! The previous weekend: I had to launch Steam in desktop mode on my Steam Machine to repair it and, yay, a Steam survey on SteamOS :)

Yay! Um, except I thought SteamOS didn't display at all on the survey. So your response got lost in the ether I guess. That's another unknown: Would Linux be noticeably bigger if SteamOS were included? (Probably not, to be honest, but Valve are certainly playing their cards close to their chest on that)
Purple Library Guy Oct 3, 2016
I still wish Valve was more proactive about promoting Linux/SteamOS. If you're particularly cynical, you could strike the word "more" from the previous sentence.
It's not ready yet. You don't get a second chance to make a first impression.
Steam for Linux has been out for nearly three-years. It's long past the point of first-impressions.
Very true. And yet it's also true that it's not ready yet, which brings us back to your previous point about wishing Valve were (more) proactive. If they got the lead out, it would be ready.
My best hope at the moment is, they're waiting for Vulkan to become widespread; then they'll go for it, slot in the multimedia support and such that Steam Machines need, and do a relaunch. A bit forlorn though.


Last edited by Purple Library Guy on 3 October 2016 at 6:54 pm UTC
MintedGamer Oct 4, 2016
I'm feeling left out now, I have 3 PCs with the Steam client installed, two that are used regularly/almost daily and have never in years seen a single survey :(
1mHfoksd1Z Oct 6, 2016
Last week I got the first Steam survey on Linux in a looooong time (more than a year). I usually only get them when I install Steam. The reason why I got it this time is because of a stupid Steam bug that deleted the entire ~/.local/share/Steam directory contents because it couldn't update itself (I was connected to a WiFi that was so slow at the time it couln't even load Google)... I was so angry (because I log 200+Gb of games and redownloading them on that WiFi takes forever (damn landlord living in the stone age)) that I almost closed the survey and go cry in a corner or something... (but I didn't, I completed it)

What I want to say is that the Steam survey for Linux comes only at the most uncomfortable times. Usually it is when you install your distro and it's pretty inconvenient to complete it, or in exceptional cases like mine.
badber Oct 7, 2016
Is there information on what the margin of error of the survey is? That kind of information I'd be interested in. Seems very likely that these sorts of fluctuations are statistically insignificant and not really worth writing any news about.


Last edited by badber on 7 October 2016 at 9:23 am UTC
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