The Steam Hardware & Software Survey for November 2023 reveals that the Steam Deck continues its recent popularity streak. (Image source: Unsplash/Steam – edited)
Breaking News! The November 2023 Steam Survey is in, and the results are eye-opening. The data shows a significant surge in the adoption of the Steam Deck and Windows 11, while Windows 10 users are dwindling. Surprisingly, there’s even evidence of users transitioning to Windows on their Steam Decks.
Each month, the Steam Hardware & Software Survey gives us a glimpse into what gaming hardware and software are trending in the global gaming community. The November 2023 survey tracks the gaming landscape between June and November, highlighting the growing popularity of the Steam Deck and the mass migration to Windows 11.
One of the most compelling takeaways from the survey is the 12.05% decline in Windows 10 users, offset by an 11.51% increase in Windows 11 users. Meanwhile, Linux and macOS hold 1.91% and 1.53% of the market share, respectively.
Overall, Windows has suffered an 0.87% loss in market share, with macOS gaining 0.34% and Linux securing an additional 0.52% of the market. Interestingly, the increased adoption of Linux has positioned Linux gamers ahead of macOS gamers for the first time.
It’s evident that the surge in Linux adoption can be attributed to the growing popularity of the Steam Deck, which now accounts for 42.99% of all Steam installations on Linux, reflecting a 0.68% increase from the previous survey. Additionally, mid-range hardware has seen a significant upturn, with quad-core CPUs now occupying 4.09% more market share than before. Although the most prevalent CPU configuration remains the six-core CPU, which holds a 31.88% market share, the quad-core configuration is not far behind, commanding a 23% market share.
The dominance of 1080p display resolutions continues, capturing an additional 1.08% of the market share for a total of 60.09%, with 4K displays also experiencing increased adoption at 3.72%. Interestingly, the usage of 1440p displays has decreased by 7.17%.
There has been a notable shift in the graphics card landscape, with 4 GB VRAM cards gaining an extra 3.71% of the market share, while 8 GB cards, still the most popular, have lost 3.63% of the market share. This movement is happening amidst a gaming industry grappling with the revelation that 8 GB VRAM is insufficient to run many modern games.
Overall, while the hardware landscape hasn’t seen any seismic shifts, the decline in Windows 10 users is significant. The influx of Linux and macOS users may be a point of interest for developers, and it’s highly likely that the recent release of the Steam Deck OLED will drive more gamers to adopt Linux as their gaming operating system.