The September 2023 Steam Survey results have been released, revealing a continued decline in the percentage of Linux users on the platform. In August, Linux usage had already taken a dip after reaching nearly 2% in July due to the success of the Steam Deck. However, the September numbers show a further decrease, with Linux market share now at 1.63%. In comparison, Apple macOS has also experienced a decline, dropping to 1.43%, while Microsoft Windows maintains its dominant position at 96.9%.
Upon analyzing the Linux-specific data, it is evident that the SteamOS Holo – the operating system powering the Steam Deck – has lost market share, while other Linux distributions such as Arch Linux and Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS have seen gains. The decline in Linux percentage is attributed to the increased use of Steam Simplified Chinese, which often correlates with Windows users. Additionally, Valve’s release of Counter-Strike 2 with a native Linux build at the end of September may have contributed to the decrease in Linux gamers.
Another notable observation is the decrease in popularity of AMD Van Gogh among Linux gamers, although it still holds a significant 43% market share. In terms of CPUs, the majority of Steam Linux gamers, around 70%, use AMD processors, largely due to Steam Deck owners. The full September 2023 Steam Survey results can be found on SteamPowered.com for a comprehensive analysis of the data.
