Windows 11 now makes up over 20% of Steam users

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What you need to know

21% of all Steam users are on Windows 11, according to the latest Steam hardware survey.
Windows 10 is still the most popular operating system among Steam users, holding a usage share of over 71%.
Windows 11 usage rose by 1.64% in June, which pushed it over the 20% mark.

Windows 11 continues to gain traction among Steam users. According to the June 2022 Steam hardware survey, 21.23% of Steam users are on Microsoft's newer operating system. Windows 11's usage rate lags behind Windows 10 (71.26%) by a significant margin, but that's not surprising. Gamers are generally slow to adopt new operating systems. Additionally, even some of the best pre-built gaming PCs fail to meet the minimum requirements of Windows 11.

Windows 11 has been out for around nine months. It includes some gaming-focused features, such as Auto HDR and DirectStorage, but those aren't enough to make everyone migrate over. PC gamers largely focus on stability, desired framerate, and game compatibility. Even if Windows 11 has some nice gaming features, people are unlikely to upgrade to it if they feel it would risk their favorite games from running smoothly.

All of that being said, Windows 11 being used by more than one in five Steam gamers in less than nine months since its release is respectable. PC gamers were famously slow to move away from Windows 7. It appears that Windows 11 may see a quicker adoption than previous versions of Windows.

The Steam hardware survey receives its figures from customers on a voluntary and anonymous basis. As a result, the exact figures aren't the key focus of the survey. For example, AMD or Intel stock isn't likely to fluctuate based on a few tenths of a percentage point swing on the Steam hardware survey. Instead, general trends of Steam's overall user base can be extrapolated from the data.

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Sean Endicott is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.

Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.