Linux overall market-share percentage falls on Steam in October

This month we are showing good market share of 2.72% on W3Counter:
It can no longer be dismissed as noise, one thing that is sure, is that Linux market share has risen in 2016!

We are not talking about Linux users here. We are talking about Linux gamers (or gamers converted from Windows to Linux)! Feel the difference. :D

While Linux can get more attractive to general user, it is lacking for the gamer. No AAAAAA-titles everyone is speaking about. Only Windows walkthroughs on www.gamefaqs.com. All friends around are using Windows. Heck, even console emulators! Pick one. Anyone. It has Windows support and Windows builds ready on its site and no Linux builds (if you are lucky, you will find a recomendation to get it from your distribution maintainer; otherwise, search forums for unofficial community builds and hope they will work).

"Make of it what you will. I'm not going to put the blame anywhere, as no one really knows apart from Valve, and apparently I'm always wrong according to a few people who think they know better."

Without access to Steam player database, your statements are just an opinion as those "who think they know better" are opinions too. You sound kinda butthurt at that moment, like you like to blame Valve and everyone should be agree with that, there are no one to blame but the same linux distros developers that makes things more complicated that it supposed to be.
The day you dont have to use the damn terminal to install stuff that it supposed to be installed by default, that day youll see Linux numbers to raise slowly instead of staying the same.

I do install Ubuntu, Lubuntu and Mint on my customer computers, saying them that I cant install Windows without a license, most of them are happy with the results, but I know without me installing the stuff they need, Linux are just a bothersome, knowing you have to introduce a complicated command on terminal that actually without internet help you will never know about it, only to make mesa drivers with intel cards on lubuntu or ubuntu, or damn Mint now showing resolutions for 1640x1050 or other resolutions.
Ubuntu 14.04 LTS with its lan options greyed out, then suddenly wifi icon dissapearing...
A regular Linux user will not install SteamOS, a windows user will not too, Steamboxes arent appealing for console players, etc.
So, while the terminal keeps being the most used tool to fix and download most of the stuff on any linux distro, linux will remain being a niche, there is a reason why M$ wanted to kill it with windows ME, a reason that actually any Mac OS doesnt have a terminal since 10 years ago.

...there is a reason ... that actually any Mac OS doesnt have a terminal since 10 years ago.

To be honest, it doesn't look like the absense of the Terminal helped MacOS become "Gamers' Heaven" in any way. The same old 3,5%...

I haven't been asked to complete one of these hardware surveys since about 2004. I know it was around then as I was on windows at time and that's when I dropped it completely for Linux.

Since then I've accessed steam on numerous machines and now regularly use a desktop and a HTPC without being asked. Have I somehow opted out somewhere along the line?

A bit old, but worth reading: http://www.pcworld.com/article/3045249/linux/linux-gaming-is-much-healthier-than-steams-hardware-survey-implies.html

I play most in bic picture mode, because of controller configuration.


Last edited by 1xok on 2 November 2016 at 5:25 pm UTC

"Make of it what you will. I'm not going to put the blame anywhere, as no one really knows apart from Valve, and apparently I'm always wrong according to a few people who think they know better."

Without access to Steam player database, your statements are just an opinion as those "who think they know better" are opinions too. You sound kinda butthurt at that moment, like you like to blame Valve and everyone should be agree with that, there are no one to blame but the same linux distros developers that makes things more complicated that it supposed to be.
The day you dont have to use the damn terminal to install stuff that it supposed to be installed by default, that day youll see Linux numbers to raise slowly instead of staying the same.

I do install Ubuntu, Lubuntu and Mint on my customer computers, saying them that I cant install Windows without a license, most of them are happy with the results, but I know without me installing the stuff they need, Linux are just a bothersome, knowing you have to introduce a complicated command on terminal that actually without internet help you will never know about it, only to make mesa drivers with intel cards on lubuntu or ubuntu, or damn Mint now showing resolutions for 1640x1050 or other resolutions.
Ubuntu 14.04 LTS with its lan options greyed out, then suddenly wifi icon dissapearing...
A regular Linux user will not install SteamOS, a windows user will not too, Steamboxes arent appealing for console players, etc.
So, while the terminal keeps being the most used tool to fix and download most of the stuff on any linux distro, linux will remain being a niche, there is a reason why M$ wanted to kill it with windows ME, a reason that actually any Mac OS doesnt have a terminal since 10 years ago.

I agree distro developers could make a standardized packages that would be installed the same on all the distros, but trust me when I say that a lot of people who use Windows don't know how to do stuff as well but they are familiar with the way of searching for answers... they would need a help from the internet to tell them ok download this and this and run it as an administrator and install, watch out not to install any bloatware with that... Same is on ubuntu you practically gain a few commands that you literally copy from google into the terminal to add repos, install apps, uninstall them so basically the only thing "repelling" here is the terminal interface which people are so afraid of. It is not necessarily harder to do, in my opinion it's way faster and more efficient than in Windows... but the concept is better, you update all your software directly from repositories without having to manually update every app so if you set up a customer's machine you can literally just run update manager and update their complete system along with applications.

Up to this day it is bad that all the tutorials on google begin with Open terminal and type sudo gedit /etc... it would be better to just tell users navigate to etc folder find this and this and open in text editor for editing parameters. That would be much more user friendly and we who know the command line could still use a shortcut to open that with 1 simple command. But eventhough there is some learning curve I think that these days Linux is not that hard to use even for a newcomer. A lot of things are solved on google already.

"Make of it what you will. I'm not going to put the blame anywhere, as no one really knows apart from Valve, and apparently I'm always wrong according to a few people who think they know better."

Without access to Steam player database, your statements are just an opinion as those "who think they know better" are opinions too. You sound kinda butthurt at that moment, like you like to blame Valve and everyone should be agree with that, there are no one to blame but the same linux distros developers that makes things more complicated that it supposed to be.
The day you dont have to use the damn terminal to install stuff that it supposed to be installed by default, that day youll see Linux numbers to raise slowly instead of staying the same.

I do install Ubuntu, Lubuntu and Mint on my customer computers, saying them that I cant install Windows without a license, most of them are happy with the results, but I know without me installing the stuff they need, Linux are just a bothersome, knowing you have to introduce a complicated command on terminal that actually without internet help you will never know about it, only to make mesa drivers with intel cards on lubuntu or ubuntu, or damn Mint now showing resolutions for 1640x1050 or other resolutions.
Ubuntu 14.04 LTS with its lan options greyed out, then suddenly wifi icon dissapearing...
A regular Linux user will not install SteamOS, a windows user will not too, Steamboxes arent appealing for console players, etc.
So, while the terminal keeps being the most used tool to fix and download most of the stuff on any linux distro, linux will remain being a niche, there is a reason why M$ wanted to kill it with windows ME, a reason that actually any Mac OS doesnt have a terminal since 10 years ago.

You are not authoritative for what is supposed to be installed by default.
By default most distro's come with way more software than Windows
You don't actually have to use a terminal to install or update things anymore (haven't for a long time)
Last time I checked (less than 10 years ago) MAC still had a terminal, so does Windows.

When you leave regular users to install all their software, the vast majority end up with all kinds of malware on their machines. They really shouldn't be installing their own software.

Most of the problems you listed come from the fact that hardware manufacturers don't make sure their products work well in Linux. I don't think that is going to change anytime soon. To assure that all hardware works right someone has to get behind a platform and verify everything, there has to be consistency. Valve may or may not do that in the future with Steam Machines. Their appeal was very limited at first because the game selection was not good, that is changing. I think Steam Machines could still take off, but Valve has to really get behind them. Unfortunately if Valve doesn't push I'm not optimistic about the future for us, I think we will be really lucky if we get the same (or near the same) level of attention as MAC from game publishers/devs.

This month we are showing good market share of 2.72% on W3Counter:
It can no longer be dismissed as noise, one thing that is sure, is that Linux market share has risen in 2016!

We are not talking about Linux users here. We are talking about Linux gamers (or gamers converted from Windows to Linux)! Feel the difference. :D

Of course, but more Linux users means more potential gamers. Further, the availability of games was an important missing component from the Linux desktop experience and the fact that there now are games, may well have been a factor in the rise of Linux market share. Things are linked together.

Of course, but more Linux users means more potential gamers. Further, the availability of games was an important missing component from the Linux desktop experience and the fact that there now are games, may well have been a factor in the rise of Linux market share. Things are linked together.

The main problem is the bundling of PCs with Windows. No user like to installing a operating system or changing a already running system. So it stays a uphill battle for Linux.

From Schenker/XMG you can buy PCs and Laptops without OS:
https://www.mysn.de/
And there is another German company which offers this devices with pre-installed Linux:
http://www.tuxedocomputers.com/index.php

For example, you can buy there a Linux-Gaming Laptop with a GTX 1060/1070 and a pre-installed Xubuntu with drivers and support for all components. But this is of course the exception to the rule.

Because the big PC manufacturers such as Lenovo, DELL or HP earn well in the sale of the Windows licenses, they have no interest in offering Linux. Just a few alibi devices like the DELL XPS apart (is not offered anymore).

Without changing the law you can wait a long time for the breakthrough of Linux, because Microsoft and the PC manufacturers have divided the market already. I see under these conditions no chance for Linux in the mass market. Even if it would be the better alternative for many users.


Last edited by 1xok on 2 November 2016 at 6:14 pm UTC

...there is a reason ... that actually any Mac OS doesnt have a terminal since 10 years ago.

To be honest, it doesn't look like the absense of the Terminal helped MacOS become "Gamers' Heaven" in any way. The same old 3,5%...

I dont think I have to explain why MAC is still 3.5%, their marketing turn around the fact that not anyone can have a IMAC, or IPHONE or Ipad, its an elitist marketing towards people who like to make others to known they have money, so MAC will be never a product for the masses. Still MacOS is still way easy to use than Linux.

...there is a reason ... that actually any Mac OS doesnt have a terminal since 10 years ago.

To be honest, it doesn't look like the absense of the Terminal helped MacOS become "Gamers' Heaven" in any way. The same old 3,5%...

I dont think I have to explain why MAC is still 3.5%, their marketing turn around the fact that not anyone can have a IMAC, or IPHONE or Ipad, its an elitist marketing towards people who like to make others to known they have money, so MAC will be never a product for the masses. Still MacOS is still way easy to use than Linux.

I worked for a company who was contracted by Apple to do troubleshooting over the phone so I used OS X daily for a year and I don't know if I would say it is easier to use. I'm not calling it hard at all but at the same time there is so little you can do with OS X from a customization or troubleshooting standpoint that it's kind of like baby's first OS. If you have so little power in the OS you use and have so little that can break is it really easier ?

I can assure than 99% of the "PC Gamers" uses their gaming computers for other stuff, so making someone a Linux user, will make him for sure a linux gamer in matter of time.
People said that actually I dont have to install new stuff aside from what the distro have already installed. Sadly, as it sound practical, it doesnt happened to me, for example, Libre Office, I dont know why I have to update all the distro to get the last version of Libre Office and Firefox, I would like to update those softwares without putting a long ass command in the terminal, to make linux to see the new repository and then being available to download it.
Debian install packages are bad too, they always ask me for dependencies that I cant install from Synaptic. Krita is another example, most distros have a way old version of Krita in their main repositories, for the new one, you have to do the same, go to krita website, copying a long command and then doing two more commands on the terminal.
Funny thing is PlayonLinux makes way easier to install windows software on linux, than installing or updating native linux software.
Dont get me wrong, love linux, but I cant see some people, looking on internet, copying and pasting commands on the terminal, just to update those softwares or install new. W10 store and Appstore are way easier to use.
Now, what if Libre Office, firefox and many other software can be distributed and updated throw Steam on Linux?, wow, that could be more practical even than synaptic. Making Linux easier for users is assuring new linux gamers in the future.

Speaking about that, we must take into account that total number of PCs in the world is probably rising more than it ever has, every person in the family in the western world probably owns their own PC at least a laptop and if we take into account that number of Windows PC is increasing, number of Linux PCs has been increasing at the higher rate since we've gained some marketshare (more than ever actually, now we are actually at about stable 2% which is not a small number, considering that there are 3+ billions of working PCs out there...)

The budget of the families isn't expandable and unlike a decade ago most people also buy smartphones, tablets, ... The money spent on these devices is probably money that is not spent in renewing/purchasing new computers. Also with such devices that can be used for leisures, browsing the web, sending mails, e-commerce, e-banking, etc... it is less important to have a computer (my sister in law resigned her fixed internet when her laptop died a year ago... she now only use her smartphone with mobile data at home and use her office computer when she really needs one).
According to Gartner, PC sales declined for eight consecutive quarters

I changed my destro from Arch to Manjaro, and I finlay got a survey from steam.
Also if they dont count in Steam os in the survey, why would they count other unsupported destros like fedor, arch, manjaro and debian and os on.

Now, what if Libre Office, firefox and many other software can be distributed and updated throw Steam on Linux?, wow, that could be more practical even than synaptic. Making Linux easier for users is assuring new linux gamers in the future.

I think this is what snapp packages are aiming for, this is a bit off topic but check it out. Its in a very very early stage at the moment, but the goal is to make it available for all linux destros and it should be something like arch AUR.


Last edited by Zelox on 2 November 2016 at 8:12 pm UTC

For anyone who is even remotely interested in snaps, Linux Unplugged had a segment on it a while back, it's really good, check it out.

"Make of it what you will. I'm not going to put the blame anywhere, as no one really knows apart from Valve, and apparently I'm always wrong according to a few people who think they know better."

Without access to Steam player database, your statements are just an opinion as those "who think they know better" are opinions too. You sound kinda butthurt at that moment, like you like to blame Valve and everyone should be agree with that, there are no one to blame but the same linux distros developers that makes things more complicated that it supposed to be.

That made me chuckle, "butthurt" is one of the dumbest sayings I've ever heard. Who said I was blaming Valve or anyone? No one knows, which is my point.

a reason that actually any Mac OS doesnt have a terminal since 10 years ago.

I'm pretty sure OS X does have a terminal (it's just not really advertised), given that professional astronomy (my field) uses about 50-50 Mac and Linux and pretty much everything in astronomy requires liberal use of the command line. :) That's what got me into using Linux after growing up with Windows only, actually.

A bit old, but worth reading: http://www.pcworld.com/article/3045249/linux/linux-gaming-is-much-healthier-than-steams-hardware-survey-implies.html

Just to point out again, they only wrote that because I grilled the author of the original piece on Twitter about how inaccurate his previous piece was ;), see his note at the bottom linking to us :D

The hardware survey is probably a little iffy. Because Linux users tend to keep their PCs running (and steam too) so they never get presented with a survey.

I've often wondered what the criteria is for getting a Steam survey.

I was pretty confused about what a "Steam survey" even was when I first saw it mentioned on the site.

I've been using Steam practically since inception (I bought Half Life 2 on it on release day). I have never once seen this survey.

If frequency of logins matters that could explain it. I think I reboot maybe once every couple of months basically just for major patches that require it.