The latest Steam Hardware & Software Survey is out for May 2022, and while it sees a tiny drop in the overall Linux user share, we can see the Steam Deck rising up. As usual, our dedicated Steam Tracker has been updated for the latest figures, with a screenshot of the current status below for all to see:
Currently the overall Linux share is 1.12%. Still a pretty clear upwards trend, and drops in a couple months are to be expected as that's just how things go. No doubt it will bounce up again within a couple months. The interesting thing to see now though, is how the Steam Deck will affect it since Valve actually hooked up the survey in a recent Steam Deck update.
When filtering to just Linux, here's the current top:
- "Arch Linux" 64 bit 12.85% +0.53%
- Ubuntu 20.04.4 LTS 64 bit 11.75% -2.53%
- "Manjaro Linux" 64 bit 11.09% -0.46%
- Ubuntu 22.04 LTS 64 bit 8.04% +8.04%
- Linux Mint 20.3 64 bit 5.97% -0.39%
- "SteamOS Holo" 64 bit 5.23% +5.23%
- Other 45.07% +6.46%
So it might look like Arch Linux is on top at a quick glance, but not quite, since you need to take into account the various versions of Ubuntu as people tend to stick to LTS releases for years. The real interesting thing to see though is SteamOS Holo, which is the Arch-based Steam Deck operating system already hitting well over 5% of Linux users on Steam. Not only that, the Steam Deck GPU "AMD AMD Custom GPU 0405" is shown as the second most popular already for just Linux systems on Steam.
Using May's 1.12% share, that puts Linux users at around ~1,478,400 estimated "monthly active users" based on the last time Valve gave out their user data. You could say that to be around ~77,320 Steam Deck users, although keep in mind it’s an additional device for a lot of people, it depends where the survey is taken. The actual number is likely higher.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Mohandevir Jun 2, 2022
Mohandevir Jun 2, 2022
Quoting: kit89Remember that the Steam Deck is likely to be a user's auxiliary gaming machine.
Quite sure you are right, but I see a lot of posts, in Steam Deck forums, that looks like: "I'm knew to PC gaming and just started buying games on Steam. Any recommendations?"
That kind of people are less likely to be tempted by dualbooting/installing Windows on it. They will probably use the Steam Deck as is and grow the number of Linux users.
Let's hope it becomes a bigger trend, over time.
Last edited by Mohandevir on 2 June 2022 at 1:12 pm UTC
mr-victory Jun 2, 2022
* Limiting the survey to Linux and listing the videocard description puts Steam Deck GPU to ~%5, Linux share is ~%1. So roughly %0.05 of PCs are Steam Decks running Linux. We already know this.
* Limiting the survey to Windows only and listing Vulkan GPUs list various GPUs. At the bottom of the list there are GPUs with less than %0.01 usage and an "Other" entry. The Steam Deck GPU (AMD Custom APU 0405) doesn't appear so it goes to "Other. In other words Decks running Windows are less than %0.01.
So, victory?
Last edited by mr-victory on 2 June 2022 at 1:45 pm UTC
Last edited by KohlyKohl on 2 June 2022 at 2:48 pm UTC
mr-victory Jun 2, 2022
Quoting: MohandevirGot the survey twice, yesterday, when I tried different Distros on an old laptop (Kubuntu and Manjaro).I got the survey when running "SteamOS Holo" in a VM
but not in May.
slaapliedje Jun 2, 2022
Quoting: fenglengshunI did my part this month- I actually got my first Steam Survey prompt since going to Linux this Monday.ha, I got my Steam Survey yesterday... on my macbook... kind of silly to see all the things are unsupported on the M1. And that it is stuck on OpenGL 4.1
Not that I moved much of a needle, since I was using newer distro (Garuda Linux). Though I'm tempted to try Nobara (AUR is just so convenient tho).
slaapliedje Jun 2, 2022
Mohandevir Jun 2, 2022
Quoting: slaapliedjeI was wondering if we could look up how many people went and ruined their Deck by installing Windows on it...
From what I read. Few are going 100% Windows. The vast majority of those that want to install Windows are dualbooters that play games like Destiny 2 or play Xbox Gamepass games locally.
Thing is, I also see comments of Windows users that complains about battery life, fan noise and heat that are much worse vs SteamOS... They are probably affecting the Steam Deck's lifespan, by using an "unsupported" OS. Personnally, the heat issue would worry me a lot.
Seriously, all the features that are exclusive to SteamOS and the UI's "eye candy" are convincing a lot of people that it's the best OS for the device. Valve is nailing it, this time.
Last edited by Mohandevir on 2 June 2022 at 3:17 pm UTC
CyborgZeta Jun 2, 2022
slaapliedje Jun 2, 2022
Quoting: MohandevirYup. I maintain still that the Steam Machines would have been fine if they'd done the Proton stuff earlier. Well, and they would have had to pick a piece of hardware to make it a standard.Quoting: slaapliedjeI was wondering if we could look up how many people went and ruined their Deck by installing Windows on it...
From what I read. Few are going 100% Windows. The vast majority of those that want to install Windows are dualbooters that play games like Destiny 2 or play Xbox Gamepass games locally.
Thing is, I also see comments of Windows users that complains about battery life, fan noise and heat that are much worse vs SteamOS... They are probably affecting the Steam Deck's lifespan, by using an "unsupported" OS. Personnally, the heat issue would worry me a lot.
Seriously, all the features that are exclusive to SteamOS and the UI's "eye candy" are convincing a lot of people that it's the best OS for the device. Valve is nailing it, this time.
The entire Steam Controller, interface for configuring that for non-gamepad games, etc. All really also needed to be in place for the Deck/steam machine to be successful. I'm guessing they've been working toward this goal for a very long time.
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