A fresh month, which means a new Steam Hardware & Software Survey is out. Looking over the October 2022 data, it appears we've hit a fresh high point.
At the end of October, Linux hit 1.28% on Steam against 2.23% on macOS and 96.50% on Windows. Going by our Steam Tracker, where we've been tracking the Linux user share for a few years, it is the highest it's been in over 4 years now! Still tiny compared with Windows of course but it's some clear steady progress.
This growth at the moment is largely thanks to the Steam Deck, which you probably already guessed. That much is clear when looking over the Linux-specific data page on the Steam Survey which shows these as the top Linux distributions:
- SteamOS Holo 64 bit 24.98% +7.94%
- Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS 64 bit 12.27% -0.21%
- Arch Linux 64 bit 9.12% -1.45%
- Manjaro Linux 64 bit 6.92% -0.88%
- Freedesktop.org SDK 22.08 (Flatpak runtime) 64 bit 5.71% +0.90%
- Other 40.99% -2.00%
SteamOS (at least going by that list on face value) is the most popular Linux distribution for gamers on Steam, by a wide margin there too with the caveat being we don't know exactly what's in the "Other" category, which could be full of various forms of Ubuntu that could push it to the top when added together.
When checking further, in the GPU list for Linux, the growth is clear with it noting that "AMD Custom GPU 0405" (the Steam Deck) has hit 25.01% (+7.94%). I should note as well, that this GPU still doesn't even show up when filtering to just Windows and so it's clear that the vast majority of gamers on Steam Deck are sticking to SteamOS which goes to show just how good it is as an experience overall.
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Something that I'm finding a little unclear about this "Percentage of Steam Users" graphed data:
I personally own multiple Linux computers - my new desktop, my old desktop, my new laptop, my old laptop, my mini-pc connected to the TV, and just recently a Steam Deck. All those devices are running Linux, and whenever I have a hardware survey (on any device) then it is my regular user account "g000h" (using my GOL nickname as an example) signed into the device.
So how does one person owning multiple devices affect the Linux marketshare data?
As a single person, with a single sign-in, does that count as a single entry in the data above? (With Steam installed on 6 different hardware devices.)
Or, is each Device being counted, so I'd count as 6 Linux Steam users according to my machines listed above.
I personally own multiple Linux computers - my new desktop, my old desktop, my new laptop, my old laptop, my mini-pc connected to the TV, and just recently a Steam Deck. All those devices are running Linux, and whenever I have a hardware survey (on any device) then it is my regular user account "g000h" (using my GOL nickname as an example) signed into the device.
So how does one person owning multiple devices affect the Linux marketshare data?
As a single person, with a single sign-in, does that count as a single entry in the data above? (With Steam installed on 6 different hardware devices.)
Or, is each Device being counted, so I'd count as 6 Linux Steam users according to my machines listed above.
1 Likes, Who?
Quoting: g000hOr, is each Device being counted, so I'd count as 6 Linux Steam users according to my machines listed above.It's a hardware survey, not a user survey. That's six Linux entries. And somewhere out there, there's Wing000h with six Windows entries for their gaming stable. Just part of the statistical noise.
The back-of-the-envelope "active users" guesstimate does assume that users and machines are equivalent, but it's a back-of-the-envelope guesstimate, so what else are you going to do?
5 Likes, Who?
Quoting: Purple Library GuyQuoting: LightkeySimplified Chinese users (where Linux usage is near zero)Really, someone's gotta do something about that.
I had this idea a few years ago to make a campaign to build cheap short ads for Linux and advertise the hell out of them in China and India. You target a third of the world population with just two languages, and they are generally countries where things are cheap (including advertising).
Brains are neural networks, so you repeat "Upgrade to Linux" enough, it's gonna get learned. Unfortunately I never found the time to seriously pursue that. Wanna take up the job?
The job would be:
- (Have someone) Create a sexy website for upgradetolinux.com etc. Have it be simple, and cool, and confidence inspiring, but contentwise be essentially like, here's an ubuntu image (or something we settle on as best for general public), install it with these instructions
- Get funding (I'm sure this will be easy given the numerous Linux enthusiasts)
- Make sexy very short ads (I have a lot of ideas for these)
- Coordinate with somebody in China and India to register these ads with radios, newspapers, tvs, billboards etc (as much as funding allows)
Anyone?
Edit: stating the obvious, but by sexy I mean "very good looking", not actually pornographic
Last edited by ShabbyX on 3 November 2022 at 5:00 am UTC
5 Likes, Who?
furaxhornyx Nov 3, 2022
Quoting: ShabbyXQuoting: Purple Library GuyQuoting: LightkeySimplified Chinese users (where Linux usage is near zero)Really, someone's gotta do something about that.
I had this idea a few years ago to make a campaign to build cheap short ads for Linux and advertise the hell out of them in China and India. You target a third of the world population with just two languages, and they are generally countries where things are cheap (including advertising).
Brains are neural networks, so you repeat "Upgrade to Linux" enough, it's gonna get learned. Unfortunately I never found the time to seriously pursue that. Wanna take up the job?
The job would be:
- (Have someone) Create a sexy website for upgradetolinux.com etc. Have it be simple, and cool, and confidence inspiring, but contentwise be essentially like, here's an ubuntu image (or something we settle on as best for general public), install it with these instructions
- Get funding (I'm sure this will be easy given the numerous Linux enthusiasts)
- Make sexy very short ads (I have a lot of ideas for these)
- Coordinate with somebody in China and India to register these ads with radios, newspapers, tvs, billboards etc (as much as funding allows)
Anyone?
You may want to be extra careful on the "sexy" parts
2 Likes, Who?
Quoting: furaxhornyxQuoting: ShabbyXQuoting: Purple Library GuyQuoting: LightkeySimplified Chinese users (where Linux usage is near zero)Really, someone's gotta do something about that.
I had this idea a few years ago to make a campaign to build cheap short ads for Linux and advertise the hell out of them in China and India. You target a third of the world population with just two languages, and they are generally countries where things are cheap (including advertising).
Brains are neural networks, so you repeat "Upgrade to Linux" enough, it's gonna get learned. Unfortunately I never found the time to seriously pursue that. Wanna take up the job?
The job would be:
- (Have someone) Create a sexy website for upgradetolinux.com etc. Have it be simple, and cool, and confidence inspiring, but contentwise be essentially like, here's an ubuntu image (or something we settle on as best for general public), install it with these instructions
- Get funding (I'm sure this will be easy given the numerous Linux enthusiasts)
- Make sexy very short ads (I have a lot of ideas for these)
- Coordinate with somebody in China and India to register these ads with radios, newspapers, tvs, billboards etc (as much as funding allows)
Anyone?
You may want to be extra careful on the "sexy" parts
"Penguin with female parts", now your day/night is ruined ;)
5 Likes, Who?
Quoting: ShabbyXWhoa, check out the feathers on that one!Quoting: furaxhornyxQuoting: ShabbyXQuoting: Purple Library GuyQuoting: LightkeySimplified Chinese users (where Linux usage is near zero)Really, someone's gotta do something about that.
I had this idea a few years ago to make a campaign to build cheap short ads for Linux and advertise the hell out of them in China and India. You target a third of the world population with just two languages, and they are generally countries where things are cheap (including advertising).
Brains are neural networks, so you repeat "Upgrade to Linux" enough, it's gonna get learned. Unfortunately I never found the time to seriously pursue that. Wanna take up the job?
The job would be:
- (Have someone) Create a sexy website for upgradetolinux.com etc. Have it be simple, and cool, and confidence inspiring, but contentwise be essentially like, here's an ubuntu image (or something we settle on as best for general public), install it with these instructions
- Get funding (I'm sure this will be easy given the numerous Linux enthusiasts)
- Make sexy very short ads (I have a lot of ideas for these)
- Coordinate with somebody in China and India to register these ads with radios, newspapers, tvs, billboards etc (as much as funding allows)
Anyone?
You may want to be extra careful on the "sexy" parts
"Penguin with female parts", now your day/night is ruined ;)
2 Likes, Who?
Quoting: ShabbyXrule 34 here we comeQuoting: furaxhornyxQuoting: ShabbyXQuoting: Purple Library GuyQuoting: LightkeySimplified Chinese users (where Linux usage is near zero)Really, someone's gotta do something about that.
I had this idea a few years ago to make a campaign to build cheap short ads for Linux and advertise the hell out of them in China and India. You target a third of the world population with just two languages, and they are generally countries where things are cheap (including advertising).
Brains are neural networks, so you repeat "Upgrade to Linux" enough, it's gonna get learned. Unfortunately I never found the time to seriously pursue that. Wanna take up the job?
The job would be:
- (Have someone) Create a sexy website for upgradetolinux.com etc. Have it be simple, and cool, and confidence inspiring, but contentwise be essentially like, here's an ubuntu image (or something we settle on as best for general public), install it with these instructions
- Get funding (I'm sure this will be easy given the numerous Linux enthusiasts)
- Make sexy very short ads (I have a lot of ideas for these)
- Coordinate with somebody in China and India to register these ads with radios, newspapers, tvs, billboards etc (as much as funding allows)
Anyone?
You may want to be extra careful on the "sexy" parts
"Penguin with female parts", now your day/night is ruined ;)
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