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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Yes. Linux reached a reported 3.05% of Steam users in Valve’s October 2025 Hardware & Software Survey, the first time its share crossed 3%. Valve says survey participation is optional and anonymous, so this is a snapshot of participating Steam accounts—not a census of all Steam users worldwide. The figure is best read as a survey milestone, not proof that Linux has permanently taken users from Windows.
What the 3% milestone means
Valve’s October 2025 survey put Linux at 3.05%, up 0.37 percentage points from the previous month. A year earlier, in October 2024, Linux was reported at 2.00%. Those figures show a notable increase in reported Steam share over that period, but they do not establish how many people worldwide use Linux for gaming or why each account’s operating system changed.
Valve describes the survey as optional and anonymous. Because it samples participating accounts rather than every Steam user, its monthly percentages can shift with the accounts included. Treat 3.05% as the result for that survey month, not a precise census or a guaranteed permanent level.
Why the Steam Deck matters
The clearest product connection is Valve’s Steam Deck, which runs SteamOS, a Linux-based operating system. PCWorld describes the Steam Deck’s Linux-based software and says the handheld almost certainly helped Linux reach the milestone. SteamOS puts Linux in front of players as a ready-to-use gaming device; buyers do not have to install and configure a desktop Linux distribution themselves.
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- 50Whr battery; 3-12 hours of gameplay (content-dependent)
- Carrying case with removable liner
Steam Deck is a plausible major contributor, but the survey result alone does not measure how much of Linux’s share comes from Deck owners. Nor does the increase prove that each additional Linux account represents someone who switched from Windows. The figures describe reported operating-system share on Steam, not the reason behind it.
Linux gaming’s share is not a straight upward line
The reported share later fell back below 4%. GamingOnLinux and Hardware Busters both reported a 3.90% Linux share for August 2026, down from July after a brief move above 4%. That makes the 3% crossing meaningful as a threshold, but not evidence of uninterrupted month-to-month growth.
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- SteamOS 3.0 (Arch-based)
- 512GB NVMe SSD, 16GB LPDDR5 on-board RAM (5500 MT/s quad 32-bit channels), microSD UHS-I supports SD, SDXC and SDHC
- 6 nm AMD APU, CPU: Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32
Hardware Busters notes that the survey uses an opt-in rotating sample, a reason to be cautious about interpreting a monthly rise or fall as a durable change in the player base. A few tenths of a percentage point can reflect sample movement as well as changes in the underlying population. A longer trend is more informative than any one month, and this survey cannot by itself establish whether Linux is taking market share from Windows.
What this says about compatibility—and what it doesn’t
SteamOS and Proton help explain how Linux-based devices can play many games distributed for Windows. But the survey’s operating-system share does not say how many Windows games work well on Linux. Compatibility depends on the individual game, its anti-cheat system, Proton version and hardware; there is no single percentage in the evidence here that applies to every player or title.
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- Operating System: SteamOS 3.0
If you are considering Linux gaming, check compatibility for the specific games and services you rely on, especially competitive multiplayer titles with anti-cheat requirements. A Steam Deck offers a simpler entry point to SteamOS than installing Linux on a desktop, but the survey milestone is not a guarantee that every game will work on every Linux device.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Should you buy a Linux gaming handheld because of the milestone?
The 3.05% figure is useful context about Linux’s presence on Steam, not a buying recommendation. Choose a handheld based on the games you play, their compatibility, the operating system you want to use and the device’s practical fit for you. Steam Deck is the most directly relevant example because it runs Valve’s Linux-based SteamOS; a rising or falling survey share cannot tell you whether it is the right hardware for your needs.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Valve is entering the gaming console marketplace with the new Steam Deck, a console geared towards PC gamers. The Steam Deck can be docked to a monitor, and used as a PC, or docked to a TV.
- Players can play a huge variety of games at any time with the comfort of a console and the freedom of a PC. Not anti-glare screen.
- Like the name suggests, the Steam Deck will include upgraded 1TB storage, and will include a carrying case. A micro SD slot will also enable expanded storage.
- Valve partnered with AMD to create a specialized APU optimized for handheld gaming, and Valve says the chip will deliver performance to run AAA gaming titles.
- The Steam Deck is outfitted with a 7-inch touchscreen, and two trackpads under the control sticks that allow gamers to operate games never designed outside of mouse and keyboard capabilities.
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