Why This Matters
The surge in Steam on Linux usage, reaching over 5% in March, highlights growing interest and adoption of Linux-based gaming platforms like Steam Deck. This trend underscores the increasing viability of Linux as a gaming OS and the influence of hardware choices such as AMD components, which are favored for their open-source compatibility. For consumers and the industry, this signals a shift towards more diverse and open gaming ecosystems, potentially impacting future hardware and software development.
Key Takeaways
- Steam on Linux usage exceeded 5% in March, indicating growing adoption.
- Approximately 25% of Linux gamers are using Steam OS, driven by devices like Steam Deck.
- AMD hardware remains dominant among Linux gamers, with nearly 70% using AMD CPUs.
Part of the jump at least appears to be explained by Valve correcting again the Steam China numbers. Month over month they report a 31.85% drop to the Simplified Chinese language use and English use increasing by 16.82% to 39.09%. Other languages also showed gains amid the massive decline in Simplified Chinese use.
The latest numbers for March show around a quarter of the Linux gamers are running Steam OS.
Due in part to the Steam Deck APU being a custom AMD product and the popularity of AMD hardware on Linux for its open-source nature, AMD CPU use by Steam on Linux gamers remains just under 70%.
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