Key Takeaways
1. Linux’s desktop adoption remains low, with a decline to 2.64% among Steam users, despite initial growth trends.
2. The Steam Deck leads Linux distribution usage, comprising 27.65% of Linux users on Steam, while macOS and Linux distributions like CachyOS and Bazzite see minor changes.
3. Windows continues to dominate with 95.59% of Steam users, showing a slight increase in its share.
4. Mid-range GPUs, particularly the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, are the most popular among gamers, but many gamers are still using 8 GB of VRAM, raising concerns about developers’ awareness of actual hardware capabilities.
5. Intel’s CPU market share has dropped to 59%, while AMD’s has increased to 41.03%, indicating a shift in preferences among PC users.
Despite the apparent rise in Linux’s popularity within the PC gaming world, with distributions such as CachyOS and Bazzite offering Windows-like polish along with Linux’s promised performance and customization benefits, it appears that 2025 might not be the year Linux finally takes over the desktop.
Growing Divide in Hardware Expectations
Simultaneously, there are signs of a widening gap between what game developers expect in terms of hardware and the actual specifications of gaming PCs owned by players.
One notable point from the recent Steam Survey is that while Linux adoption was showing an upward trend, it has slipped again, declining by 0.25% to a total of 2.64% among sampled Steam users. Although this decrease may appear minor, it actually represents a 10% shift when compared to the previous survey. Earlier growth in Linux user numbers indicated a healthy trend, which could have encouraged developers to consider offering official Linux support for games, software, and gaming hardware. Many Linux enthusiasts remain optimistic that initiatives like SteamOS and the Steam Deck will continue to bolster Linux’s market presence, but the pace seems to be easing somewhat.
Popularity Among Linux Distributions
Within the Linux community, the Steam Deck (currently priced at $467.90 on Amazon) still dominates, accounting for 27.65% of Steam’s Linux users. Meanwhile, CachyOS has gained a slight increase, and Bazzite has attracted 2.21% of the Linux user base on Steam.
In contrast, macOS has also experienced a downturn in its share of Steam users, which has dropped to just 1.77%. On the other hand, Windows has seen a gain of 0.36%, bringing its total to 95.59% of Steam users belonging to Microsoft.
Mid-range GPUs and Developer Disconnect
On the hardware side, mid-range GPUs continue to drive the majority of gaming experiences, with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 now surpassing the RTX 3060 as the most favored gaming GPU. Despite ongoing discussions about 8 GB of VRAM being inadequate for gaming in 2025, it remains the most prevalent VRAM size reported, rising by 1.37% to just over 35% of sampled Steam users still utilizing that specification. Although 16 GB VRAM is often touted as the ideal for gaming in 2025, only 6.80% of Steam users have that amount of video memory available to them.
This reliance on mid-range hardware has led to debates online about whether game developers are disconnected from the actual hardware that regular gamers possess. This concern is heightened as some AAA titles are now requiring minimum specifications that include GPUs like the RTX 2070 or even more powerful options.
Interestingly, when comparing the current year to last year, Intel’s CPU market share has dropped by 9%, falling from 68% in August 2024 to 59% in August 2025. Conversely, AMD now powers 41.03% of PCs this August, which is an increase from 31.9% in August 2024.
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