Steam's November 2025 Hardware Survey reveals Linux usage reaching an all-time high of 3.2 percent for the second consecutive month. This marks a modest but notable increase amid Windows' dominance at 94.79 percent. The growth coincides with Windows 10's end-of-life in October.
The November 2025 Steam Hardware & Software Survey shows Linux users accounting for 3.2 percent of the platform's total, up from October's previous record and surpassing the 3 percent mark for the first time. This represents the second straight month of peak usage for Linux on Steam, a platform where Windows still holds 94.79 percent of users.
Among Linux distributions, Valve's SteamOS Holo leads with 26.4 percent of Linux users. Other popular options include Arch Linux, Linux Mint, CachyOS, Bazzite, and Ubuntu, each holding shares of about 5 to 10 percent. Bazzite, a gaming-focused distribution recommended as an alternative to SteamOS for custom PCs, experienced one of the largest increases this month. Similarly, the Flatpak version of Steam saw significant growth, likely appealing to newcomers due to its easier installation process compared to native setups.
The timing of this surge aligns with Windows 10 reaching end-of-life on October 14, 2025. While most users migrated to Windows 11, a portion appears to have switched to Linux. Recent advancements in Linux gaming, driven by the Steam Deck handheld—which runs on a Linux-based system—and Valve's Proton compatibility layer, have expanded support for Windows games on Linux. However, challenges like anti-cheat software compatibility persist.
This gradual rise underscores improving viability for Linux in PC gaming, though it remains a small fraction of the overall user base.
