Steam on Linux Numbers Dropped to 2.23% in February (phoronix.com)
- Reference: 0180930142
- News link: https://linux.slashdot.org/story/26/03/08/1948243/steam-on-linux-numbers-dropped-to-223-in-february
- Source link: https://www.phoronix.com/news/Steam-Survey-February-2026
But January's numbers settled a little lower, [3]at 3.38% . And last Monday the February numbers were released, showing Steam on Linux at... 2.23%?
> Like with prior times where there are wild drops in Linux use, the Steam Survey shows Simplified Chinese use running up by 30% month over month. Whenever there is such significant differences in language use tends to be a reporting anomaly and negatively impacting Linux. Valve often puts out corrected/updated figures later on, so we'll see if that is again the case for this February data.
[1] https://www.phoronix.com/news/Steam-Survey-February-2026
[2] https://www.phoronix.com/news/Steam-December-2025-Revised
[3] https://www.phoronix.com/news/Steam-Survey-January-2026
Chinese Linux? (Score:1)
Seriously? Who the heck would trust an OS from the CCP? Not me. That's why I use Red Star OS 4.0 with its secure Naenara browser and Saggywang Office suite.
What about the context? (Score:2)
So, the Linux percentage is falling, but that means nothing unless you also know if the total number of users across all platforms has increased, decreased or remained static.
I would suspect that the data would actually show lots of new Windows installs added to the total in the weeks after Christmas, pushing the Linux stats down...
How about SteamOS on Arm? (Score:2)
Recently, it was found out that SteamOS on Arm ran Steam games compiled for Wintel at par w/ how they ran on Wintel boxes. Given that, I'm curious whether or not Valve has started compiling the bulk of their current games for Arm?
In fact, any computer that comes w/ Windows-on-Arm would be a good candidate to wipe out Windows 11 and install SteamOS in its place. Since the games run at native speeds under Proton/Wine, one could do that, and experience a speed boost for games that go native
Proton is awesome (Score:2)
Who cares, PC gaming was always more of a niche while the washed normies were on consoles.
SteamOS and the SteamMachine could push a few more people to Linux gaming, but really, I am just happy there are options nowadays.
Linux was already great for most computing needs since a good 10-20 years. Gaming and 3D always sucked one way or the other, and this has rapidly improved now and I could not be happier!
Proton really is great and you can play a lot of games, even new ones, just fine. Even AntiCheat is less o
Dual Boot and Wine undermine native Linux gaming (Score:1)
> Gaming and 3D always sucked one way or the other, and this has rapidly improved now and I could not be happier!
Sadly that is insufficient to change the minds of the big game studios. Lets consider two Linux gamers.
Linux Gamer A: Prefers a native Linux game. Will dual boot or use Wine to run the Windows version if a native Linux version is not available.
Linux Gamer B: Requires a native Linux game. Will not dual boot or use Wine, will pass on the game if no native Linux version is available
Gamer A's provide no incentive for a game studio to do a Linux version.
Only Gamer B's provide any incentive.
Because it is still a pain in the ass (Score:2)
I attempted to migrate fully to a Linux Desktop OS. it did not go as well as I hoped and I eventually just went back to Win10. Steam wasn't the only issue, but the frustration I had just getting it installed, then getting a game installed and running was a major contributor. I am very technically literate, so getting everything running is not beyond my abilities. But the last thing I want in an OS is to have to constantly tinker to get it working and to keep it working.
The main issue (Score:2)
Most popular games are windows compatible on top of the fact that they require enormous amounts of memory, processing, and resources so workarounds are limited. I love linux but have to recognize its limitations. When i can install it and play anything unhindered, i will do it.
Logged Out (Score:1)
Maybe after shifting full time over to Linux, they're thinking more about what their computer's doing at any given time, and they're choosing to sign out of Steam and not leave it running in the background 24/7. And that's messing with the numbers
Who cares. (Score:3)
Not everyone is a gamer and games regularly. We all know that Linux numbers are up and folks moving to it can't be denied.
If you wanna go by stats, go by PornHub. Porn built the Internet and last stat release from them was that Linux users were 22% of their traffic. Nobody is changing the user-agent to Linux.
Re: (Score:2)
Going to PornHub, they could easily be using privacy extensions that do browser obfuscation.
Re: (Score:2)
Unless I am mistaken, Linux, in Steam terms, includes, and in fact is mostly made up by their own Proton impl.
But, say: PornHub says 22% of their users is Linux? Weird. I'd say on Desktop, this would be important; but on mobile, I'd say the numbers are way too low. So... where did you get that number from?
Re: (Score:3)
Quick search: Pornhub says Linux users are 6.3%, in a 22.4% increase from previous year [1]https://www.resetera.com/threa... [resetera.com]
[1] https://www.resetera.com/threads/pornhubs-2025-year-in-review-linux-at-6-3-desktop-traffic-share.1378750/
Re: (Score:2)
No, support for legacy software is a big reason Windows is dominant in the market. Otherwise, it would have lost everything starting from Windows 8. People who are most into games would either have bought consoles, or even among the alternatives, there are enough games on Apple and Linux.
Anybody who has SteamOS on his system has it on his gaming rig, or gaming is all he does on his computer
Re: (Score:2)
I wonder if AI caused a slowdown in gaming habits. I recently picked up a ridiculous bargain on a new GPU thanks to currency fluctuations, but most people have been locked out of GPU and RAM upgrades. Even SSDs to store games are ridiculously expensive now.
I picked up a couple of games I hadn't played for a while because I got a new GPU. Maybe people who were not able to upgrade due to AI are playing less.
As for PornHub, I hate to say it but it doesn't reflect well on the relationship success levels of Linu
Re: (Score:2)
Linus Sebastian is the kind of person who will probably never migrate to Linux. He's a business owner now, so there is always going be that one stupid "Enterprise" business application that he'll need to use that isn't supported on Linux.
Plus, he seems to get really whiny when he runs into trivial technical issues. You really need to be willing to make adjustments to your workflow for a Linux migration to be successful, and he's the kind of person who would rather complain about a limitation instead of find
Re: (Score:2)
So if you don't like monopolies valve is our best shot. To get Linux widespread adoption gaming is probably the best place to do that. And no Android isn't Linux.
Windows 11 is the most user hostile software application ever made and by all accounts Windows 12 is going to be worse.
You can have alternatives right now for yourself but for how long? We have dozens of laws that are going to make it increasingly difficult to distribute Linux software. I don't really want to have the cops show up and arres
Re: (Score:2)
I think it's well known that the only people who install this are gamers who install it on their gaming rigs. Others would pick other Linux distros, be it Debian, Fedora, Ubuntu, Mint, Omarchy, Kali,..... It would also not be on their primary computer, unless all they do is play games
Re: (Score:2)
Yes because Porn is ubiquitous to all computers and computer users, like just the other day in the middle of a Teams meeting I fired up Pornhub and rubbed one out in the meeting room.
Now with this sarcasm I hope you see how you have completely biased your results in a way that include the single largest set of computer users. You've fallen into the same trap as the Linux "Gamers" have by narrowly defining a target market.
Also browser agent? No one sets those, but a significant portion of the internet runs p