Windows 11 surges among PC gamers on Steam as Linux stalls — the open-source OS mildly loses momentum after a brief uptick

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Windows 11 posts some of its biggest Steam gains yet in December, as Linux cools slightly following an increase seen just one month earlier.

Installing Windows 11 on Steam Deck
You can still install Windows 11 on a Steam Deck (if you really want to), but I doubt that's what these gamers have been doing. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

Steam’s December 2025 survey is now live. In November 2025, Linux gained a small but notable amount of momentum, giving some users hope that the trend would continue into December.

Instead, Linux’s install base has stalled. It even slipped by 0.01% month on month, which is minor, but still an unexpected pause after several months of gradual growth. For Windows users, the picture looks very different. Windows 11 recorded a sizeable jump, rising by 5.24% overall.

What the December 2025 Steam survey tells us

Steam's current logo. (Image credit: Steam)

Thanks to its latest surge, Windows 11 now accounts for 70.83% of all Steam users. Windows 10, by comparison, dropped by 2.36% to 26.70%.

In November 2025, Linux recorded a small 0.15% increase, while Windows 11 grew by around 2%. That context makes December’s shift feel more pronounced.

Looking at the wider picture, all versions of Windows combined made up 94.79% of Steam users in November. In December 2025, that figure edged up to 94.95%.

Linux saw a very slight decline overall, slipping from 3.20% to 3.19%. However, not all distributions moved backward, as Fedora recorded a 0.05% increase in users.

The RAM crisis continues to inflate memory prices and potentially jeopardize Valve's plans for its Steam Machine PC. (Image credit: Windows Central | Valve | Crucial)

Memory trends also shifted. Systems with 32GB of RAM grew by 2.11%, while 16GB configurations fell by 0.80%.

On the graphics side, the NVIDIA RTX 3060 is now the most commonly used GPU on Steam. It overtook November 2025’s leader, the RTX 4060 Laptop GPU.

Virtual reality adoption also saw a notable change. Meta’s Quest 3 increased its user share by 24.42%, making it the most popular VR headset and placing it 2% ahead of the Quest 2.

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We want to hear how closely your setup matches what Steam is reporting. Does your system line up with the latest trends, or are you very much an outlier?

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Adam Hales
Adam Hales
Contributor

Adam is a Psychology Master’s graduate passionate about gaming, community building, and digital engagement. A lifelong Xbox fan since 2001, he started with Halo: Combat Evolved and remains an avid achievement hunter. Over the years, he has engaged with several Discord communities, helping them get established and grow. Gaming has always been more than a hobby for Adam—it’s where he’s met many friends, taken on new challenges, and connected with communities that share his passion.

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