The latest Steam survey from July 2025 reveals a notable advance in the world of gaming operating systems. Linux usage now exceeds 2.8%, approaching 3% on the Steam platform, a particularly significant figure compared to previous decades when the market share was significantly lower. This growth is observed at a time when Windows nevertheless maintains a broad dominance, followed at a distance by macOS, while the Linux-based SteamOS system continues to consolidate its presence thanks to the rise of devices like the Steam Deck.
This development is not insignificant. Many technical and community factors are contributing to the increased adoption of Linux as the operating system of choice for gamers on Steam. The Steam survey reveals not only a steady increase but also changes in users’ hardware habits, such as the importance of AMD hardware, appreciated for its optimal integration with Linux distributions. In an increasingly dynamic technological context, the world of Linux gaming today offers new perspectives to analyze and understand. Detailed Analysis of Steam Statistics: Linux on the Verge of a New Usage Level
The monthly Steam survey is a valuable source for measuring the distribution of operating systems in the gaming community. In July 2025, the data reveals a Linux market share of 2.89%, compared to 95.23% for Windows and 1.88% for macOS.
This increase is part of a positive trend over several months. Since the beginning of 2025, Linux has gone from a share of 1.45% in February to a plateau of 2.89% in July, showing a steady increase thanks in particular to the influence of the Steam Deck, which benefits from a version derived from Arch Linux called SteamOS Holo. This rise can also be explained by several technical factors:Continuously improving Linux hardware support, particularly with the Linux 6.17 kernel, which provides optimized multi-core support, facilitating the execution of demanding games (see Linux 6.17 Multi-Core Support ). Growing interest in universal distribution formats like Flatpak and Snap, which facilitate game portability and reduce complex dependencies. Better management of high-performance file systems, for example with Btrfs, improved in Linux 6.17 for better scalability and data integrity (Btrfs optimizations).
Developer efforts to adapt graphics drivers, especially for AMD hardware, recognized for its extensive Linux compatibility and popular in the Linux gaming community.
Furthermore, the growth of Linux on Steam is not only linked to new technologies but also to the overall growth of free software enthusiasts who use custom distributions and foster an open, secure, and scalable ecosystem. Discover the results of the Steam Linux survey, revealing that only 3% of users choose this platform. Analysis of trends and implications for Linux gaming.
- Implications of the increasing Linux percentage in the Steam ecosystem and video games The rise of the 2.8% mark on Steam is significant as it reflects a diversification of operating systems in a sector long dominated by Windows. This movement is a key indicator of the growing viability of Linux as a gaming platform.For developers and publishers, this means:
- An opportunity to expand their market by targeting Linux distributions and optimizing performance for this system.
- A technological challenge to ensure robust compatibility with various distributions, graphical environments, and hardware configurations.An incentive to support open-source technologies such as Proton, a compatibility layer that allows Windows games to run on Linux, thus improving the user experience.This momentum is supported by the advances in SteamOS Holo, which, being derived from Arch Linux, benefits from a solid, flexible, and up-to-date base of packages and drivers. This partially addresses the specific needs of video games, particularly in terms of graphics performance and user interface.
- It is also worth noting the importance of the community in this process, which actively contributes to the development of patches, the adaptation of libraries, and feedback on hardware and software performance. For Linux gamers, these statistics, validated by Steam, reinforce confidence in their technological choice and open new perspectives for a more integrated and fluid gaming experience on their favorite system. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18_SC3OgFtQ
The Role of Linux Distributions and the Steam Deck in the Rise of Linux for Video Games
This popularity is mainly due to:
Specific hardware optimization (AMD APU) with excellent support under Linux, notably thanks to the developers’ work on Radeon drivers and the Linux kernel (see
Linux native x86 CPU performance
- ).
- A user interface designed for gaming, fluid and lightweight, allowing an experience comparable to traditional consoles but with the flexibility of a Linux system.
- The ability to install other Linux distributions, offering the freedom of adaptation and customization to advanced users, as Kali Linux under containers on macOS allows for testing (e.g., Kali Linux containers).
Easy access to a large compatible Steam library thanks to Proton and other open-source compatibility tools.
Furthermore, this rise of Linux also involves the democratization of user-friendly distributions such as Linux Mint, Ubuntu, and Pop!_OS, which are excellent entry points for novice gamers or those looking for a more turnkey setup. These distributions emphasize stability, ergonomics, and hardware support.
Discover the results of our survey on Steam usage on Linux, where only 3% of users choose this platform. Learn about gaming trends and Linux gamer preferences.
Technical Factors Impacting Linux Adoption in Steam Gaming in 2025
- The rise of Linux is based on several specific technical advances that deserve further discussion: Linux Kernel 6.17: Improved support for multi-core architectures and continued integration of drivers for NVIDIA, AMD, and ARM solutions such as Tegra, strengthening compatibility with Steam and Steam Deck platforms (Linux 6.17 details).Open-source graphics architecture
- : On Linux, OpenGL rendering, Vulkan and Mesa projects are rapidly evolving to provide a high-performance and smooth experience on modern GPUs.
- Use of virtualization and containerization technologies: these solutions play a key role in isolating games, ensuring their compatibility and facilitating updates.CPU and GPU performance
- : the predominance of AMD hardware among Linux gamers is accompanied by optimizations specific to x86 architectures and work on the software stack (see
Linux CPU optimizations
).
These technical elements make it possible to ensure an evolution of the use of Linux in demanding contexts such as gaming, which are usually very demanding in terms of resources and precise compatibilities.
Perspectives and challenges for the use of Linux in gaming according to Steam data
- Despite this obvious progression, Linux remains a minority in the Steam sphere, with an adoption rate of less than 3%. However, for an operating system often perceived as niche in the field of video games, this figure is encouraging and demonstrates a paradigm shift. The main obstacles include:A significant diversity of Linux distributions which complicates development for game studios, although universal formats help to reduce this barrier.The need for a compatibility layer such as Proton, which despite its exemplary performance, can still result in incompatibilities or performance drops for certain titles.
- The limitation of official support from publishers, with few games releasing in native Linux version. These challenges, however, are offset by a vibrant community and rapid improvements in all areas related to Linux gaming. Many advanced users can also rely on Linux tips for advanced users to optimize or customize their experience.
- In the long term, projections suggest that Linux’s growth in the gaming sector could continue thanks to: The rise of Linux handheld consoles like the Steam Deck.
- The development of tools to further facilitate migration from Windows to Linux (Linux-Windows Migration Tool). Continuous improvements to graphics drivers and the kernel to support new hardware and optimizations. The continued efforts of open-source communities to develop software and libraries dedicated to gaming. Comparison of operating systems on Steam in July: Windows, macOS, and LinuxWhen analyzing the distribution of operating systems on Steam, Windows remains largely dominant with a share of 95.23% in July 2025. macOS ranks second behind Linux, with less than 2%, precisely at 1.88%.
- The situation for Linux, with 2.89%, marks a significant shift and demonstrates a gradual gain in market share, particularly at the expense of macOS, which is seeing a slight decline in its gaming users on the Steam platform. Several factors explain these variations:
Windows remains the preferred platform for the vast majority of gamers due to its native compatibility with almost all games, but its share is slowly declining.
macOS suffers from a limited number of compatible games and a more closed ecosystem. Linux
benefits from growing support for titles via Proton and a committed community that fosters the rise of open source in a sector previously almost exclusively dominated by Windows.
In summary, Linux usage on Steam, while still a minority, is showing a growing dynamic that could ultimately disrupt the distribution of market share between these different operating systems, particularly thanks to increasingly mature open-source projects and platforms such as the Steam Deck.
- Discover the results of the Steam survey revealing that only 3% of the platform’s users play on Linux. Dive into the implications of this statistic for gaming on open-source systems.
