Linux Continues to Make History, Hitting 5% Usage on Steam
Linux Continues to Make History, Hitting 5% Usage on Steam
https://linuxiac.com/linux-make-history-hitting-five-percent-usage-on-steam/
Publish Date: 2026-04-02 12:59:00
Source Domain: linuxiac.com
Linux is making history on Valve’s Steam gaming platform. The latest Hardware & Software Survey for March 2026 shows Linux at 5.33% usage, up 3.10 percentage points from last month. This is the first time Linux has crossed the 5% mark in the survey.
And let me tell you – this is big. Here’s why. In November 2024, reaching 2% on Steam was considered a breakthrough. By November 2025, Linux had gained another 1% and passed 3%. And now, suddenly and largely unexpectedly, it has climbed above 5%, keeping up the steady growth of recent years.
Linux now accounts for 5.33% of all gamers on Steam.
Of course, Windows remains the main platform on Steam, accounting for 92.33% of surveyed systems in March. macOS holds 2.35%. Still, Linux’s latest numbers stand out this month, thanks to breaking the 5% barrier and the big 2% jump from last month.
The reasons for the sharp Linux spike remain unclear. It is striking, however, that Windows falls to 92.33% with a -4.28 point change, Linux rises to 5.33% with a +3.10 point change, and Windows 11 jumps to 66.85% with a +10.57 point change. At the same time, however, Windows 10 has seen a massive drop of nearly 15%.
For Linux users on Steam, Arch Linux is still the king in March at 0.34%. Next came Linux Mint at 0.27% and Ubuntu at 0.20% (summary). Manjaro accounts for 0.06%. However, all of these distros combined account for less than 1%. So, where is the remaining 4%? That remains an open question.
Valve’s public March 2026 page does not provide a detailed methodological note explaining the Linux jump beyond the standard description of the survey itself. In any case, this achievement can certainly be described as historic. So, is there anyone left who would dispute Linux’s capabilities as a gaming platform?
For more details, see Valve’s Steam Hardware and Software Survey for March 2026.
