Another month, another set of stats showing that Linux desktop seems to be doing better than ever. According to Statcounter, the Linux share has risen once again. A great sign for the health of the platform with more people using it.
While over on Steam the Linux numbers did dip over the last month, it still remaining above macOS which is interesting from a gaming standpoint but general desktop use is quite different.
The latest from Statcounter shows:
- January - 2.91%
- February - 2.94%
- March - 2.85%
- April - 2.83%
- May - 2.7%
- June - 3.07%
- July - 3.12%
- August - 3.18%
The Windows share only dropped slightly this month, with the macOS share also dropping. However, ChromeOS, which is also technically a Linux distribution, rose from 3.24% to 3.34%. So if we included that Linux would actually be on around 6.52%.
What are your thoughts? Be sure to leave a note in the comments!
I do wonder if the gaming side has fed into this--if people aren't finding themselves more able to switch because the answer to "But can I play my games?" is now basically "Yes."
In my case that's actually one of the primary reasons I started following GoL--I concluded that the gaming side was a really key strategic issue for desktop growth more generally.
Quoting: Purple Library GuyJolly good!
I do wonder if the gaming side has fed into this--if people aren't finding themselves more able to switch because the answer to "But can I play my games?" is now basically "Yes."
In my case that's actually one of the primary reasons I started following GoL--I concluded that the gaming side was a really key strategic issue for desktop growth more generally.
"The big problem that is holding back Linux is games. People don’t realize how critical games are in driving consumer purchasing behavior."
-- Gabe Newell, 2012
Quoting: Purple Library GuyJolly good!
I do wonder if the gaming side has fed into this--if people aren't finding themselves more able to switch because the answer to "But can I play my games?" is now basically "Yes."
In my case that's actually one of the primary reasons I started following GoL--I concluded that the gaming side was a really key strategic issue for desktop growth more generally.
So you're only here for strategic reasons? ;)
Quoting: EikeI think Stellaris counts as a strategic reasonQuoting: Purple Library GuyJolly good!
I do wonder if the gaming side has fed into this--if people aren't finding themselves more able to switch because the answer to "But can I play my games?" is now basically "Yes."
In my case that's actually one of the primary reasons I started following GoL--I concluded that the gaming side was a really key strategic issue for desktop growth more generally.
So you're only here for strategic reasons? ;)
I think that the moment for the 6.52% that probably will be 7% or more then, will be when Chrome OS will include GNU Steam client, and some tablets laptops and hybrids with AMD APU, as actual handhelds, and perhaps a handheld powered by Chrome OS too.
And if they manage to provide good enough for gaming ARM SoC devices, with a (new) Steam client or the windows one running under wine for ARM, even better.
But I think it will happen in 2025 or if sooner late 2024 if it happens, and I think it will happen.
Quoting: mitcoesIt will be 6.52% Linux soon, as Chrome OS is going to switch to WaylandSince when has using Wayland 100% of the time been a requirement to be a Linux distribution? If we went by that standard SteamOS, or a lot of people still using X wouldn't count as "Linux" either.
ChromeOS is already a Linux distribution, all that is happening is it modernizing and moving closer to the rest of the ecosystem. We need to stop splitting Linux apart over relatively minor differences.
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