Linux Hits Record 5.33% Steam Share, Tops macOS

Valve's latest Steam Hardware and Software Survey for March 2026 reveals a significant shift in the gaming platform landscape, with Linux achieving a record-high market share of 5.33 percent among Steam users, surpassing macOS and marking the largest monthly increase for the open-source operating system in its history.

The survey, which polls a voluntary sample of Steam users worldwide, shows Linux usage surging 3.1 percentage points from February's 2.23 percent figure. This more than doubles the 2.3 percent recorded a year earlier, bringing Linux ahead of macOS at 2.35 percent, which also rose by 1.19 points. Windows, long the dominant force, fell to 92.33 percent, a 4.28-point decline that represents its sharpest drop in three years and its lowest share since tracking began in 2009. Analysts attribute part of the Linux gains to adjustments in regional data, including a 31.85 percent decrease in Simplified Chinese language usage on Steam, which may have recalibrated global figures. English usage, meanwhile, climbed 16.82 percent to 39.09 percent, with other languages also posting increases.

SteamOS, Valve's Linux-based operating system tailored for gaming, accounts for nearly...