The latest Steam Hardware & Software Survey is out now for August 2024, so let's go over the details on where Linux stands right now.
Here's the overall user share per operating system:
- Windows 96.78% +0.23%
- Linux 1.92% -0.16%
- MacOS 1.30% -0.07%
The interesting thing about the last month is we had the absolutely massive release of Black Myth: Wukong from Chinese developer Game Science. This, naturally, has lead to a surge in the numbers of people from China playing games and using Steam. And as usual, that pushes the Linux number down because it's just such a massive amount of extra people on Windows.
From our Steam Tracker page:
On the Linux side here's the current most popular Linux distributions used on Steam:
- SteamOS Holo 64 bit (Steam Deck) 40.48% -0.49%
- Arch Linux 64 bit 8.22% +0.23%
- Freedesktop SDK 23.08 (Flatpak runtime) 64 bit 6.23% -0.12%
- Ubuntu 22.04.4 LTS 64 bit 3.79% -0.25%
- Linux Mint 21.3 64 bit 3.59% -1.61%
- Ubuntu 24.04 LTS 64 bit 3.56% +0.15%
- Linux Mint 22 64 bit 2.98% +2.98%
- Ubuntu Core 22 64 bit 2.97% -0.02%
- Manjaro Linux 64 bit 2.95% +0.02%
- Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS 64 bit 2.66% -0.07%
- Other 22.58% +1.62%
See all on the Steam Survey.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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10 comments
Ni hao!
To our Chinese friends: have you tried to play Wukong on Deepin? It schould work fine. If you need any help with setting up your OS and/or Steam, you will find it on this site.
To our Chinese friends: have you tried to play Wukong on Deepin? It schould work fine. If you need any help with setting up your OS and/or Steam, you will find it on this site.
8 Likes, Who?
Someone definitely needs to be getting the Chinese onto Linux.
2 Likes, Who?
Quoting: Purple Library GuySomeone definitely needs to be getting the Chinese onto Linux.How Microsoft Conquered China
3 Likes, Who?
ElectricPrism Sep 3
It would be interesting to hear what Chinese Citizens think about Windows, Linux, and Mac.
If I had to guess I would think they would see all 3 of those as Western, maybe Linux less.
I wouldn't be surprised to see some significant platform and software innovations from Chinese Citizens in the next decade or two.
It's really hard to know if Linux is up for the radical changes in the tech world. I wouldn't be surprised to see a fully rust micro kernel parallel to Linux in the next decade and cutting all the legacy out in favor of the future.
Again I'm painting a mental image with a broad brush.
Linux is great, but it is also encumbered in the same way that Windows is encumbered with NTFS or Unix was encumbered with legacy. It's hard to cover all your bases when on the one hand you're expending energy on floppy disk drivers in 2024.
Linux has been absolutely necessary, but what the world needs is to stay united in technological partnerships. Similar to advancing science just for the sake of science. Advancing technology for the sake of technological innovation to make the best future possible.
The uptick on steam is definitely Black Myth Wukong. I don't expect Microsoft as a pentagon military contractor to have the governments blessing in China forever. It will be interesting to see what their people end up using 5 or 10 years from now.
If I had to guess I would think they would see all 3 of those as Western, maybe Linux less.
I wouldn't be surprised to see some significant platform and software innovations from Chinese Citizens in the next decade or two.
It's really hard to know if Linux is up for the radical changes in the tech world. I wouldn't be surprised to see a fully rust micro kernel parallel to Linux in the next decade and cutting all the legacy out in favor of the future.
Again I'm painting a mental image with a broad brush.
Linux is great, but it is also encumbered in the same way that Windows is encumbered with NTFS or Unix was encumbered with legacy. It's hard to cover all your bases when on the one hand you're expending energy on floppy disk drivers in 2024.
Linux has been absolutely necessary, but what the world needs is to stay united in technological partnerships. Similar to advancing science just for the sake of science. Advancing technology for the sake of technological innovation to make the best future possible.
The uptick on steam is definitely Black Myth Wukong. I don't expect Microsoft as a pentagon military contractor to have the governments blessing in China forever. It will be interesting to see what their people end up using 5 or 10 years from now.
0 Likes
Quoting: CatKillerYeah, I know. But that's not set in stone for all time. If MS can screw up for a while and then come up with a strategy that works, so can we.Quoting: Purple Library GuySomeone definitely needs to be getting the Chinese onto Linux.How Microsoft Conquered China
0 Likes
Quoting: Purple Library GuyQuoting: CatKillerYeah, I know. But that's not set in stone for all time. If MS can screw up for a while and then come up with a strategy that works, so can we.Quoting: Purple Library GuySomeone definitely needs to be getting the Chinese onto Linux.How Microsoft Conquered China
Sure. But things like having meetings with government representatives, massive investment in the country, and education and employment for the citizens are things that any competitor would have to be able to counter. Being cheaper and having source code access won't do much because Windows also has those things in China. Just being better in some aspects wouldn't be sufficient to move the needle. There's a whole lot going on with Microsoft's relationship with China, and it took decades (and a whole lot of money and commitment) to achieve.
1 Likes, Who?
Quoting: CatKillerThings have changed, in ways that may become relevant. Back then, China was Open For Business and wanted to be buddy-buddy with the US and everyone, and the US elites were like "Friend! You make us profits!" China's overall deal was, come in foreign corporations and profit from us, as long as you bring us knowhow and technology. Now, they have the knowhow and technology and they're increasingly backing their own homegrown companies; plus, the Americans have turned the dial most of the way towards hostile, making it increasingly a risk for China to rely on foreign, and particularly American, technologies. That would include Microsoft products.Quoting: Purple Library GuyQuoting: CatKillerYeah, I know. But that's not set in stone for all time. If MS can screw up for a while and then come up with a strategy that works, so can we.Quoting: Purple Library GuySomeone definitely needs to be getting the Chinese onto Linux.How Microsoft Conquered China
Sure. But things like having meetings with government representatives, massive investment in the country, and education and employment for the citizens are things that any competitor would have to be able to counter. Being cheaper and having source code access won't do much because Windows also has those things in China. Just being better in some aspects wouldn't be sufficient to move the needle. There's a whole lot going on with Microsoft's relationship with China, and it took decades (and a whole lot of money and commitment) to achieve.
As the Chinese government works its way down checklists of what could make it vulnerable to embargos in a cold war, it may well hit "software".
2 Likes, Who?
ElectricPrism Sep 3
If there's one observation I've made about China. Their actions are typically extremely pragmatic. For Linux to make ground on Microsoft there I would think that Linux would need to become more practical than Windows.
0 Likes
wit_as_a_riddle Sep 7
Quoting: ElectricPrismwhat the world needs is to stay united in technological partnerships. Similar to advancing science just for the sake of science. Advancing technology for the sake of technological innovation to make the best future possible.
I would argue the opposite. Independent products from independent thinkers will take us in new directions, solving problems in new and novel ways. The best of those will thrive and influence the rest of the world, this is especially the case in FOSS imo.
0 Likes
wit_as_a_riddle Sep 7
Quoting: Purple Library GuySomeone definitely needs to be getting the Chinese onto Linux.
There is Deepin, linux is at least not entirely absent.
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