Steam On Linux Use Recedes Slightly During August - Phoronix

submitted by

https://www.phoronix.com/news/Steam-Survey-August-2025

9
36
1

Log in to comment

Hot Top New Old
edited

This was another month where when Linux use recedes, it's often correlated to increase in Chinese growth on Steam. Simplified Chinese rose by 0.59% for August to 26.03% while English language use fell by 2% down to 35.62%.

It's interesting that China's adoption of Linux is effectively 0%, skewing the overall stats, particularly when there is a surge in Chinese adoption of Steam, which can single-handedly push the numbers around.

 reply
16

I'd think that China would have higher Linux adoption, given its government's understandable leeriness toward foreign products in general and American products in particular. Linux isn't domestic, but at least it's auditable, unlike Windows and MacOS.

 reply
14

Many governments get access to source code for critical systems as a condition for their use / part of contract negotiations. It's also quite likely that Microsoft and all its services in China is operated as a Joint Venture.

China did have Red Flag Linux (with Government support) for a while, too.

 reply
7

It's still happening. Just not over night.

The launch event for the new OS featured luminaries from China’s tech ecosystem pledge to support KylinOS 11 and its adoption across the economy.

Whatever "luminaries from China's Tech ecosystem" actually ends up being.
KylinOS adoption

 reply
4

Would be neat if we could view the steam survey data for only english language users (I, being an english language user, primarily care about my peers. Sorry if you are not an english language user)

 reply
7

https://www.gamingonlinux.com/steam-tracker/ has a chart that shows Linux English language users only. They haven't added August numbers yet, though.

 reply
6

Oh no, the wrong gamers rose up!

... Is that still a thing or do I need to go yell at a cloud?

 reply
8

Comments in Linux@programming.dev

My apologies guys. I've had a busy month. I plan on being back on track this month

 reply
36

Take with a grain of salt because the steam hardware survey has historically had sample size issues.

 reply
25

I switched from Steam to Gog. Sorry guys, it is my fault.

 reply
18

Come on guys, I've been neglecting sleep for gaming and y'all slacking??

 reply
16

Yeah, I haven’t played all month!

 reply
12

Maybe due to students going back to schoool.

 reply
11
edited

Going by a graph by the GamingOnLinux site, in the past 7 years, overall it has shown an exponential growth tendency. Plus previous surveys all are archived on sites like Internet Archive so they could do their own research. Given that, to me the headline already opening up with "recedes" sounds disingenuous, or at least a case of hyperfocusing on a detail without need, something I tire to see in other types of news. Plus they work on the text based on the headline, without checking or commenting on the tendency.

 reply
3
edited

Oh that's my fault.
I didn't play any Steam games last month:P

Scrolling down tells me others had the same idea.

 reply
2
Insert image