After a couple of months of the Linux user share on Steam dropping, the November 2023 Steam Hardware & Software Survey shows it shooting back up again. With Steam Deck continuing to push Linux gaming. See the data over time on the GOL Steam Tracker.
As mentioned in the last article for October 2023's numbers, the issue was something we've seen quite a few times now. A sudden surge of Simplified Chinese as a language on Steam, which pretty much always brings down the Linux and macOS share. Things look back to normal again now though.
The current numbers:
- Windows 96.56%
- Linux 1.91%
- macOS 1.53%
When filtering just to the Linux numbers we can see that SteamOS Holo (Steam Deck) continues to be what's pushing the numbers up overall:
- SteamOS Holo 64 bit 42.99% +0.68%
- Arch Linux 64 bit 7.81% +0.27%
- Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS 64 bit 6.67% -0.06%
- Freedesktop.org SDK 23.08 (Flatpak runtime) 64 bit 5.33% -0.40%
- Linux Mint 21.2 64 bit 4.25% +0.32%
- Manjaro Linux 64 bit 3.79% -0.16%
- Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS 64 bit 2.68% +2.68%
- Other 26.48% -3.33%
See the full survey on Steam.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Encouraging... need a couple more to REALLY indicate if this is following the growth curve.
Its taken 62months to get here... if this trajectory holds then it will be 12% in 38months (ie 3years)
Its taken 62months to get here... if this trajectory holds then it will be 12% in 38months (ie 3years)
11 Likes, Who?
You know what that means? 2024 will be the year of the Linux Desktop! 
15 Likes, Who?
Does this mean there is a sudden drop in simplified Chinese?
And more interesting, what cause the rise of simplified Chinese, like an opening I the great Chinese firewall or ?
Edit, first question answered on the gol steam tracker, it indeed dropped
Last edited by Bumadar on 2 December 2023 at 5:29 pm UTC
And more interesting, what cause the rise of simplified Chinese, like an opening I the great Chinese firewall or ?
Edit, first question answered on the gol steam tracker, it indeed dropped
Last edited by Bumadar on 2 December 2023 at 5:29 pm UTC
1 Likes, Who?
If Linux had 100% Nvidia support (Steam most used brand worldwide) and SteamOS 3 launches for PC and with tons of marketing, that number would increase a lot.
2 Likes, Who?
Does this mean there is a sudden drop in simplified Chinese?
And more interesting, what cause the rise of simplified Chinese, like an opening I the great Chinese firewall or ?
It's anyone guess. Mine is that any tricks able to fool the time limitation allowed for video game per day in China is able to fool the steam tracker and so there is a significant proportion of Chinese users that are counted multiple time because of some way to fool the trackers preventing children to play more than 3 hours a week.
1 Likes, Who?
At this rate the graph is going to need a new top end soon.
4 Likes, Who?
Does this mean there is a sudden drop in simplified Chinese?
And more interesting, what cause the rise of simplified Chinese, like an opening I the great Chinese firewall or ?
It's anyone guess. Mine is that any tricks able to fool the time limitation allowed for video game per day in China is able to fool the steam tracker and so there is a significant proportion of Chinese users that are counted multiple time because of some way to fool the trackers preventing children to play more than 3 hours a week.
That makes sense, I always assumed the time limitation tricks time (so to speak) but yeah might be deeper then that (like pretending a new install or something like that)
0 Likes
Why do people take any notice the steam survey ?
The only ones that know the true numbers are Valve and they seem unlikely to open that info.
The only ones that know the true numbers are Valve and they seem unlikely to open that info.
0 Likes
Why do people take any notice the steam survey ?Because it's all we've got?
Conjure me some more accurate, comprehensive, and transparent information and I'll pay attention to that instead.
12 Likes, Who?
You know what that means? 2024 will be the year of the Linux Desktop!The heck is a "desktop"?
Sent from my iPhone
7 Likes, Who?
You young'uns and your new fancy technology, you don't know what you're missing out on *shakes walking stick*.You know what that means? 2024 will be the year of the Linux Desktop!The heck is a "desktop"?
Sent from my iPhone
Back in my day we didn't have those fancy flashy portable devices you hold in your hand and take everywhere with you. We had these things that sat on a desk that had at least two monitors and a tower unit to power those monitors.
When we were teens, we would spend all day hacking away at code on our desktop computers! No silly games, no fancy phones just pure childhood joy of computer coding, as all children should have!
Honestly, the youth of today. You just don't get it.
/me walks off grumbling about the youth of today while using walking stick.
Last edited by BlackBloodRum on 2 December 2023 at 10:48 pm UTC
10 Likes, Who?
chickenb00 Dec 2, 2023
I have to wonder what is going to happen when Microsoft gets off their asses and releases a controller-friendly version of Windows, basically something like SteamOS or even just BigPictureMode with quick access to all of the little toggles you normally need via a quick button combo. Suddenly ROG Ally will be much more competitive when you no longer have to dip back to the desktop and play with Control Panel to get things working.
0 Likes
I have to wonder what is going to happen when Microsoft gets off their asses and releases a controller-friendly version of Windows, basically something like SteamOS or even just BigPictureMode with quick access to all of the little toggles you normally need via a quick button combo. Suddenly ROG Ally will be much more competitive when you no longer have to dip back to the desktop and play with Control Panel to get things working.
They did in 2001, that's called an xbox :D
Seriously, last gen xbox are controller friendly, game friendly, walled garden friendly windows on a special hardware. And, microsoft has no intention of giving it to any potential competition. They are making enough money out of it and releasing such an OS would mean they will have to work with other manufacturers to make their exclusive OS run on other hardware while retaining the ability to play xbox exclusive games (because let's face the reality that the selling point of xbox os); even as a closed partnership they wouldn't do that.
2 Likes, Who?
I have to wonder what is going to happen when Microsoft gets off their asses and releases a controller-friendly version of Windows, basically something like SteamOS or even just BigPictureMode with quick access to all of the little toggles you normally need via a quick button combo. Suddenly ROG Ally will be much more competitive when you no longer have to dip back to the desktop and play with Control Panel to get things working.
Unlikely to happen, even the Xbox app on PC isn't gamepad-friendly (even Microsoft Store is better), they probably don't care about 1% of potential customers, especially of those who aren't locked to their store. I don't see them making handheld that is locked to Microsoft Store (or Xbox app) either, if anything, they would do something like Playstation Portal (depends on how successful that idea is), but only for Xbox Cloud.
0 Likes
Linux_Rocks Dec 3, 2023
You young'uns and your new fancy technology, you don't know what you're missing out on *shakes walking stick*.You know what that means? 2024 will be the year of the Linux Desktop!The heck is a "desktop"?
Sent from my iPhone
Back in my day we didn't have those fancy flashy portable devices you hold in your hand and take everywhere with you. We had these things that sat on a desk that had at least two monitors and a tower unit to power those monitors.
When we were teens, we would spend all day hacking away at code on our desktop computers! No silly games, no fancy phones just pure childhood joy of computer coding, as all children should have!
Honestly, the youth of today. You just don't get it.
/me walks off grumbling about the youth of today while using walking stick.
4 Likes, Who?
Well, that's understandable. How do you know you can trust it with your data? Theft, internet disruptions, bankruptcy, changes in corporate policy--well worth yelling at, the Cloud.You young'uns and your new fancy technology, you don't know what you're missing out on *shakes walking stick*.You know what that means? 2024 will be the year of the Linux Desktop!The heck is a "desktop"?
Sent from my iPhone
Back in my day we didn't have those fancy flashy portable devices you hold in your hand and take everywhere with you. We had these things that sat on a desk that had at least two monitors and a tower unit to power those monitors.
When we were teens, we would spend all day hacking away at code on our desktop computers! No silly games, no fancy phones just pure childhood joy of computer coding, as all children should have!
Honestly, the youth of today. You just don't get it.
/me walks off grumbling about the youth of today while using walking stick.
Last edited by Purple Library Guy on 3 December 2023 at 3:53 am UTC
5 Likes, Who?
The cloud is trust worthy, join the system. Be a part of our new world order, place all your data within our loving data centers. We promise not to peak at your data* and we take your privacy very seriously. Remember, Cloud is your friend, the cloud is your future. Clouds, be a cloud user today.Well, that's understandable. How do you know you can trust it with your data? Theft, internet disruptions, bankruptcy, changes in corporate policy--well worth yelling at, the Cloud.You young'uns and your new fancy technology, you don't know what you're missing out on *shakes walking stick*.You know what that means? 2024 will be the year of the Linux Desktop!The heck is a "desktop"?
Sent from my iPhone
Back in my day we didn't have those fancy flashy portable devices you hold in your hand and take everywhere with you. We had these things that sat on a desk that had at least two monitors and a tower unit to power those monitors.
When we were teens, we would spend all day hacking away at code on our desktop computers! No silly games, no fancy phones just pure childhood joy of computer coding, as all children should have!
Honestly, the youth of today. You just don't get it.
/me walks off grumbling about the youth of today while using walking stick.
* Your data is automatically scanned for the safety of all users by an AI, and we may remove files where necessary.
7 Likes, Who?
I have to wonder what is going to happen when Microsoft gets off their asses and releases a controller-friendly version of Windows, basically something like SteamOS or even just BigPictureMode with quick access to all of the little toggles you normally need via a quick button combo. Suddenly ROG Ally will be much more competitive when you no longer have to dip back to the desktop and play with Control Panel to get things working.
My guess is that there'll be a well-adapted steamos/chimeraos/whatever-community-distro for deck-alikes before that happens.
3 Likes, Who?
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