After initially showing the decrease as an increase, it seems Valve have now corrected the Steam Hardware Survey results for October 2018.
Originally, it showed as a 0.05% increase even though the figure in October 2018 for Linux is 0.72% compared to September's 0.78% so it's a decrease of 0.06% for people to argue over. This is after Valve fixed a rounding error for small distributions that they reported on October 4th. Keep in mind, they may adjust this figure again like they have a few times.
As a reminder, we have a dedicated page tracking various details including the reported Linux market share on Steam.
It's worth noting, again, that Steam is always growing. As an example of this, Valve reported in April 2018 that they had 43 million daily active users. However, Valve did a presentation back at the Melbourne Games Week last month where they reported that daily active figure to now be 47 million. So, between April and October they had an increase of 4 million daily active users. They're also now up to 90 million monthly active users, which is 23 million more than last year (source).
To give you some fun data points:
- Linux daily active users around: 338,400.
- Linux monthly active users around: 648,000.
The amount of growth Valve is getting is pretty incredible really. They don't seem to have given out a new total active amount of users for a while, but considering their growth it seems like it could be quite a lot compared to the 125 million figure they gave out back in 2015.
So do keep in mind, that while the share is lower overall, the figure it actually represents in terms of actual Linux users is quite likely to be still growing but being outpaced by new Windows users on Steam at the same time. I imagine it's going to take a lot for our growth to ever outpace Windows and push the reported share higher to a point where it's notable. Hopefully when Steam Play matures it might help, but it's far too early to tell.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Quoting: KimyrielleI find it interesting that even in a world where Windows 10 tends to draw criticism even in mainstream user circles for taking away control from the user, forced updates that break something else every single time, spying on users at an unprecedented scale, and a myriad of other things, we STILL don't manage to match Windows growth.You are talking about Windows PC "power users" (users that have much more IT knowledge than "average user"). It is minority itself. I have no idea how many of Windows Steam users are "power users" but I guess that less than 10%. Of course it is many millions users more than Linux have, but it doesn't change the fact that it is minority. Rest of them - probably do not care even what is the name and version of the system. Windows was when they bought laptop/PC. They are not IT enthusiasts - in the best case they are PC gaming enthusiasts. Many of them are reading gaming portals, probably many of them also have console. They do not care about open-source - they do not know even that something like this exists. If you start talking about it - they will say: "Booooring... Sorry, but I want play games. Any game. I do not want to wonder with questions like: will that new AAA game start in Linux out-of-the-box? Or maybe via Steam Proton? Or maybe via wine-staging beta? Will OriginStore/UplayStore work on Linux? IT politics/wars/etc. - I'm not interested. FBI/CIA/Microsoft could spy my Win10? So what? I'm already spied by them via Chrome, Android/iOS, Facebook/WhatsApp/Messenger and... Steam). In another words: I do not care."
So why at least Windows PC "power users" do not migrate (or migrate but not many of them)? Maybe because they are more "game enthusiasts". Migrate doesn't make sense - all games that could be played on Linux - could be also played on Windows (and much more titles plus with better performance). Windows is some sort supported by game developers. There are many problems, but if not developer - community almost always will find solution (like convert Max Payne sound files to be compatible with newer system than WinXP). Except Feral and other "big" porters - other Linux games many times are not supported even by developer. In fact many ports has been abandoned. It is even worse than no port at all - most of these games probably would be working OK via Steam Proton. Steam Proton itself is great, but supported by Valve only. That is the reason why game enthusiasts with proper knowledge are not migrating massively to Linux.
Situation could change only if someone "big" will start selling PC/consoles with Linux. With marketing and real support, not some sort of crap that Asus for example was selling in the past. When it will happen - game developers will consider to start real support of it (like it was with beginning of Steam Machines initiative).
Valve is probably too small to do it alone. But there is a hope. Valve is not a charity company. OK, probably these several open-source developers that Valve hired is not "very big investment", but anyway they would not do that if there was no "bigger plan". They know that Linux as today, even with Steam Proton, is not real alternative for Windows, so why bother? There need to be some plan of expansion... It has to be...
Anyway, some big changes are coming. For example Steam Chat already is much different than rest of Steam client. But it is "Valve time" so who knows how many years we need to wait for more...
Comandante Ñoñardo Nov 5, 2018
Quoting: GuestIf a more advanced user kvetches about a CLI, then it is indeed a matter of habit. But knowing how many Windows users have started with exactly a CLI, i do not believe it is a real obstacle. Their CLI was called DOS and was much more uncomfortable to use. And they did put up with it.
I always was a nerd hobbyist.
My first true contact with computers was in 1996, with an MS-DOS tutorial in a PC with black and white monitor.. It was THE ONLY thing available then...
Then, I moved to another place for a tutorial of GUI Windows 3.1 and MS-Works using a 486 DX2 PC with a color monitor (I discovered Wolf3d in that machine, by the way)
Once I used Windows 95 in my first computer, in March 23 of 1998, I fell in love of that simple and intuitive GUI...
I know CLI very well, that is why I hate it so much...
Believe me. No Windows (power or regular) user want to use a CLI command. Distro Developers must solve that if they want to attract windows users.
Example:
Install drivers and software in Windows is easy: Just download the file from where ever you want and run it, in Linux is not that simple and that must be solved as soon as possible by Distro developers-
Take a look at GOG. They support Ubuntu 16.04 and 18.04, but instead of using .deb files, they use .sh files that can not run on GUI by default...
If Distro Developers want to attract average Windows users, They have to make it SIMPLE.. including the process of playing a popular videogame.
C'mon Valve! You can do it..
Patreon
PayPal
See more from me